Only a small subset of surgical and biodegradable materials, including scaffolds, breast implants, and bones, employ bioplastics in the medical industry. Their advantages include less intrusive repair, better physiological repair, progressive body breakdown, and biocompatibility, among others.
The commercial usage of bioplastics such polycaprolactone (PCL), polylactic acid (PLA), and polyglycolides (PGL) and their copolymers as bio-resorbable polymers for tissue engineering has been around for a while.
Industry estimates that bioplastics make up <3% of the medical polymers used in medical devices and <1% of the market for medical polymers as a whole.
A potential market for bioplastics in the medical sector is disposable, single-use plastics like gloves, face masks, hair caps, medical packaging, and other comparable products that add to growing environmental worries about healthcare waste without a recycling option. Because medical waste is gathered and disposed of in an organised manner, using bioplastics can be beneficial.
However, the fundamental problem with bioplastics is their capacity to degrade.
In an ideal world, materials would not degrade under normal environmental conditions. A specialised industrial composite is therefore required to expedite the degradation brought on by elements such as temperature and humidity. The concept of a closed-loop is defined by the addition of extra energy, money, and time to the process.
Despite the much-discussed fact that they are more expensive than ordinary plastics, which have little effect on the medical industry, bioplastics are a perfect match for medical plastics applications and have the potential to become more expensive. Bioresorbable polymers will continue to discover new uses as medical requirements expand as a result of an ageing global population.
Want to know more? Do not miss the opportunity to join us on the 1st - 2nd March, 2023 — as international experts come together at the Steigenberger Airport Hotel, Berlin, Germany for the World Biopolymers and Bioplastics Innovation Forum!
To register or learn more about the Forum please check here: https://bit.ly/3TQ1k8m
For more information and group participation, contact us: [email protected]
