Page 97 - Plastics News August 2024
P. 97
IN THE NEWS
Prefilled Plastic Injector Is Environmentally Su-
perior to Glass Syringe, Study Sa
ultiple reports have debunked the no- care entity. Notably, it wants to reach net zero
tion that glass is an environmentally by 2040 in emissions it directly controls and net
Msuperior alternative to plastic, but a zero by 2045 in respect to emissions it can influ-
study released this month is the first one I’m ence but does not control directly.
aware of that compares the environmental foot-
print of a prefilled plastic injection device to the “The environmental impact of a product is a fact
widely used glass syringe. The year-long, peer- of life, so we commissioned this study,” said El-
reviewed study purports to show that a blow-fill- lenthal. “We knew intuitively that our prefilled
seal (BFS) prefilled injector developed by Api- vial made of low-density polyethylene was more
Ject Systems Corp. offers a significant reduction sustainable than conventional glass,” said El-
in greenhouse gas emissions and water usage. lenthal, but he wanted the data to prove it. “We
were the catalyst, but experts did the work.”
The study, “Life Cycle Assessment of the Pre-
filled ApiJect Injector,” measured each step in The study is authored by Robert Litan, PhD, for-
the production and distribution of the device, mer director of economic studies at the Brook-
including upstream materials production, manu- ings Institution, and Matthew Eckelman, PhD,
facturing, quality inspection, packaging, trans- adjunct associate professor at the Yale School
portation, and waste management. of Public Health, with expertise in emissions
modeling. The authors were supported by en-
Why do this study in the first place? gineers and scientists from Kymanox, a global
professional services company exclusively serv-
I did wonder about the motivation for this study, ing the life sciences sector. The study was peer
so I put the question to ApiJect Systems Presi- reviewed by an independent panel of environ-
dent Jon Ellenthal. “All industries are facing pres- mental and economic modeling experts.
sure from customers, who are making buying
decisions based on the environmental impact of Among the findings:
products. Sellers need to act responsibly. And
pressure is coming from investors and govern- Single-dose glass vials and luer-type prefilled sy-
ments to decarbonize,” said Ellenthal. He cited ringes have a carbon footprint that is more than
the example of the United Kingdom’s National 100% higher per dose than the ApiJect device.
Health Service, which has the ambition of be- The ApiJect device also outperformed multi-
coming the world’s first net zero national health-
dose vials and staked-type prefilled syringes,
August 2024 PLASTICS NEWS 99
