Cherwell’s new Redipor^® Plastic Bottle media range provides more sustainable alternative to glass bottled media for sterile pharmaceutical manufacturing

Cherwell, cleanroom microbiology solutions expert, has introduced a new Redipor® Plastic Bottle prepared media range in response to a request from a large pharmaceutical company for support in meeting its sustainability targets. The new terminally sterilised plastic bottled media products have been developed and launched by Cherwell to offer a more environmentally friendly and cost-effective alternative to glass bottled media for use in sterile pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Recycling plastic requires much less time and energy compared to glass. Glass requires around 900°C of heat to melt and recycle, whereas plastic has a lower temperature requirement of approximately 200°C. This ‘carbon expense’ of glass is a key reason for adopting the use of plastic in aseptic manufacturing environments; as in some regions, such as Scandinavia, this is considered a major factor to supporting the drive towards the United Nations 17 Sustainability Development Goals.

Available in 250mL and 1L sizes, the new Redipor plastic bottled products are made from materials that meet USP Class VI requirements and presented in a 45mm, wide-mouth format with a square-base. This facilitates sterility testing applications and makes them strong with a high shatter resistance, plus easier to handle, pack and store. Not only does this minimise waste from breakage, but also transportation costs as they are tougher and weigh less than glass. These factors further support sustainability initiatives.

Wan Li Low, Microbiology Product Specialist at Cherwell, explained how glass can be more carbon expensive than plastic, “A consumable’s overall carbon footprint is influenced by many factors, such as the material used, manufacturing processes, weight, transportation, recycling, reusability, and end-of-life disposal. So, although it’s often thought of as a sustainable material due to its recyclability, glass is in fact carbon expensive to manufacture, distribute, and recycle. Whereas, when considering its entire lifecycle from production to recycling, plastic actually presents a lower carbon footprint, which has been shown by recent studies ^[1].”

The product development of the new Redipor plastic bottle media range following a customer request from one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in Denmark is discussed in a video interview.

Cherwell offers a variety of bottled media products for sterile processing applications including sterility testing, as well as operator and process validation. All prepared bottled media products are manufactured and terminally sterilised within Cherwell’s cleanroom facility. They are subject to stringent quality checks and QC certified.

Reference:

1. Glass bottles amongst the most environmentally impactful says Southampton study (2020).
    

About Cherwell Laboratories

Located in Bicester, central England, Cherwell Laboratories provides standard and bespoke cleanroom microbiology solutions that help customers effectively manage their controlled environments and processes. Established for over 50 years, the company has built a strong reputation as a leading supplier of prepared microbiological media and environmental monitoring equipment, with considerable expertise within the pharmaceutical and related industries.

Cherwell manufactures its extensive range of Redipor® prepared media products in its ISO9001 registered facility, and has the flexibility to respond to varying customer requirements - from routine high volume down to low volume specialist applications. In-house engineering facilities support production and the development of bespoke solutions, as well as the supply, service and calibration of its environmental air monitoring equipment solutions.

Cherwell builds strong partnerships through professional, responsive and open communication, and by delivering high quality products, plus a flexible and reliable service with expert support, Cherwell ultimately helps its customers to reduce risk.

Cherwell is now part of the AnalytiChem Group, a collection of eight dynamic businesses located across North America, Europe and Australia

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