From the Editor: October 2024

Cheryl Scott, Editor in Chief

By the time you read this, I will have served as an award presenter for the first time. Even though it means dressing up and trying not to trip over myself on stage, I’m excited to do this, especially because the award I’ll be presenting at Biotech Week Boston is for sustainability initiatives. As a hiker, camper, gardener, horsewoman, and proud Oregonian, I hold environmental issues close to my heart. And sustainability is a major focus of our company too. BPI is printed on PEFC-certified paper sourced from sustainably maintained forestry.

The runners-up in this year’s BWB Awards sustainability category share such values. Cyclups Plantastiq (https://www.cyclups.com) specializes in compostable wheat-based packaging materials. Contract manufacturer RoslinCT (https://www.roslinct.com) is minimizing all scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse-gas emissions, using renewable energy, and reducing overall climate impacts. And Synterex (https://synterex.com) is a woman- and disability-owned clinical and regulatory consulting firm specializing in agile methodology, automation, and AI-driven technologies. Its fully remote workplace has an active Green Team that achieved Gold certification from the Green Business Benchmark program.

The sustainability winner at this year’s BWB Awards is Diversified Biotech Inc. for its PlanetSafe sustainable labware product line. It provides a 100% plant-based solution that is commercially compostable, petroleum free, and safe for incineration. The products also have an 83% lower carbon footprint than that of polystyrene alternatives. Microplates, culture dishes, and other items come with ACT labeling from My Green Lab, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a culture of sustainability in science. You can expect to hear more about My Green Lab and the Green Business Benchmark in BPI next year. In the meantime, download our latest eBook, “Realizing Sustainable Biomanufacturing: Emerging Approaches to Facility Design and Construction,” at https://www.bioprocessintl.com/series/ebooks. It provides some ways to improve the environmental impact of biomanufacturing facilities engineering, construction, and operations. We highlight past and current winners of the “social impact” category at the ISPE’s Facility of the Year Awards program and preview a powerful, practical approach from Merck and Company that will be featured in next month’s issue of BPI.

Sustainability is not an all-or-nothing consideration; small efforts add up to overall improvement of business practices, and we learn from shared experiences. Our editorial goal is to present you with many ideas for making efforts of your own. We’re all in this together.