Single-Use Technology in the Biopharmaceutical Industry and Sustainability: A Contradiction?

Abstract

Single-use technology has become important in biopharma processes since many years. Despite all the benefits, the generally rising concerns about single-use material are hitting industrial bioproduction. The subgroup “Sustainability” of the DECHEMA workgroup “Single-Use Technologies” aims to investigate any potential to quantify sustainability and identify points of concern or contradiction when applying single-use material. This essay summarizes some facts about its utilization, past and current efforts to define, measure and increase sustainability and recommendations for potential actions.