Circular Economy in Bioprocessing

Overview

Closing material loops in biopharma manufacturing to reclaim and reuse every polymer and plastic input; described as the 'last frontier' after decarbonization, requiring industry-wide collaboration to establish the recovery business case. Circularity in bioprocessing — reclaiming every material input to the system — is identified as the last frontier for achieving zero environmental impact, expected to require 5-10 years of strides beyond decarbonization and bio-attribution milestones. Biopharma generates less single-use plastic waste by volume than other industries but at higher per-unit value, making the business case for material recovery and circularity viable — but only if defined collectively, as no single company can establish it alone. (Circularity as Last Frontier (Segment 7, 30:00-35:00))