An Edinburgh-based scientist has shown how discarded chewing gum can be turned into lateral flow tests (LFTs) to help cut medical waste across the world.
Maïwenn Kersaudy-Kerhoas, a professor in microfluidic engineering at Heriot-Watt University, worked with Northamptonshire-based moulding company Great Central Plastics to develop five prototype devices made from a range of emerging plastic materials as part of her work to make the healthcare industry more sustainable.
In addition to “post-consumer” chewing gum (Gum-tec) collected from streets across the UK, the team has also created LFTs using old fridge parts made from High Impact Polystyrenes (HIPs) which are 100% recyclable plastic.
It is estimated there are over four billion lateral flow tests manufactured annually and the market is set to grow from $43 billion in 2022 to $72bn (£56bn) by the end of 2024.
Around 16,000 tonnes of plastics are produced globally for rapid testing every year with an average test containing 10-15g of single-use virgin plastic.
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Because of issues due to sorting and potential contamination, very few of the plastics used in medical testing are recycled and most of it is sent to incineration or landfill.
A further three prototype LFTs have been made from Limex, a material derived from limestone with 50-80% calcium carbonate in the final product; Terralene, bio-compounds based on polyethylene (PE) made from renewable raw materials; and Bio-flex, a biodegradable and compostable type of plastic.
LFTs entered the public consciousness during the Covid pandemic but they are also used in pregnancy tests and to identify a range of illnesses and conditions including Strep A, Pre-eclampsia, and mosquito-borne diseases such as Malaria or Dengue Fever.
Together with masks, they have been the visible part of the growing medical waste issue.
Prof Kersaudy-Kerhoas, a lead academic at Heriot-Watt University’s new global research institute in Health and Care Technologies, said: “If we can make LFTs out of sustainable materials and without the use of fossil fuels in their production, we can save between 30% and 80% of carbon emissions that virgin plastic processing produces.
“We’ve now had approval to test these prototypes, making sure they function as well as the existing ones, particularly regarding the flow of liquid on the testing strip.
"As well as demonstrating feasibility in their practical application, these new devices help to support a wide ranging discussion around healthcare sustainability in general and how we might develop a circular economy through potential changes in procurement and legislation.”
The sustainable LFTs project is part of a collaboration with social scientists at the University of Edinburgh and is part-funded by the DIADEV project (Investigating the Design and Use of Diagnostic Devices in Global Health), funded by the European Research Council under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.
Steve McLaughlin, deputy principal for research and impact at Heriot-Watt and the director of Health & Care Technologies, said: “Maiwenn and her team have been passionate about reducing medical waste throughout their careers and the figures make it obvious why this is such an urgent issue.
“The mission of the new global research institute in Health and Care Technologies is to work closely with industry and sector partners to deliver innovative, sustainable and use-inspired solutions to help solve global health challenges in a spirit of co-creation.
"The work Maiwenn is doing on sustainable LFTs is exactly the sort of project we want to support and we have the world-leading research and engineering capabilities here at Heriot-Watt to do it.”
Alice Street, a professor of anthropology and health at Edinburgh University and principal investigator of the DIADEV project, added: “LFTs are used globally to test for a growing number of diseases and are especially important in low-resource settings but not enough attention has been paid to the plastic waste they generate.
“This project brought together social sciences research showing the impact of LFT waste around the world with innovative approaches in biomedical engineering to create long overdue solutions to the growing problem of medical waste.”
In addition to manufacturing the green LFT prototypes, Great Central Plastics generates around a third of its energy from roof-mounted solar panels.
As much as possible, it tries to use re-processed and recycled materials.
Kiron Phillips, its head of sales and marketing, said: “We take pride in our sustainable manufacturing processes, and we adopt this ethos across all levels of our business.
"This collaboration highlights our commitment to cutting-edge research and development.
"By championing sustainable alternatives such as Gum-tec and Limex, we not only mitigate environmental impact but also pioneer a shift in the industry, setting a benchmark for responsible production practices.”
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