In search of alternatives: How compatible are cleanroom standards and straw packaging?

5.5 million tons of plastic waste are generated in life sciences laboratories every year. The industry is growing and so are the mountains of waste. The dilemma: cleanroom requirements. Is it still possible to do it without plastic packaging?

70 % of CO2 emissions in the life sciences industry are generated in the supply chain. In terms of volume, the largest share of waste is accounted for by insulated packaging for cold chain shipping. However, this is precisely where it is possible to switch from conventional plastic insulated packaging, such as expanded polystyrene, to sustainable alternatives – with enormous potential for CO2 savings. There are already numerous pioneers in the industry, such as our customers QIAGEN and New England Biolabs.

The Institute for Environment & Energy, Technology & Analytics e.V. (IUTA) has also taken a close look at the topic as part of the INNO-KOM research project iWisch (FKZ: 49MF200005), tested insulated packaging for its requirements and decided on the Landbox Straw.

IUTA has developed a wipe sample kit for monoclonal antibodies to identify contamination and pollution of surfaces by monoclonal antibodies and to validate the cleaning success. Due to the great success of the research project, the wipe sample kit and the associated Landbox Straw are being offered to the commercial sector. The majority of customers work in cleanrooms, which means that special attention is paid to the particle release of the materials. In a class C cleanroom, for example, a maximum of 29,000 particles with a size of ≥ 5 μm per m³ may be released during operation.