Sustainability in the Science Industry: Polycarbin Feature
Prized for their performance and affordability, single-use plastics are at the heart of the modern health science economy and a necessary tool for life-enhancing innovations. While single-use plastics have accelerated the rate of scientific discovery, they have also increased the industry’s dependence on fossil fuels. This year, in the midst of a global pandemic, the U.S. will dispose of greater than 3 billion lbs. of single-use plastics by way of incineration or landfill. This linear process - whereby laboratory products are made, used, and then discarded - necessitates the continued extraction and emission of carbon in the forms of oil and natural gas.