Reconsidering Impact: Single-Use Vs. Stainless-Steel Systems

By Clayton Weber, Senior Project Engineer, Asahi Kasei Bioprocess America

It’s not uncommon today to believe disposable system components are always more environmentally harmful than reusable equipment; however, in the past 10+ years, research has shown that this is not necessarily the case. There is a key global initiative to reduce the negative impact of human activities on the environment, and for pharma and biopharma manufacturing, pollution mitigation is a predominant imperative. To apply the fastest and most effective pollution-reducing recommendations to the industry, it's vital to first identify biochemical manufacturing’s key pollution-contributing factors.

Explore these factors along with spatial considerations when comparing disposable to traditional systems and current environmental-based initiatives.