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MedTech Sustainability by Design
MedTech Sustainability by Design is the podcast where the world's leading experts in medical device, sustainable plastics, eco-design, and regulatory compliance share their expertise. Each episode cuts through the complexity of plastic selection, regulatory changes, medical device engineering or sustainable plastics — so MedTech engineers and start-up teams can build devices that are good for the patient, good for the planet and profitable.
Your host, Lucas Pianegonda, is a globally recognized expert for plastics in medical technology. As founder of Gradical, a consultancy dedicated to making MedTech more sustainable with plastics, Lucas has guided dozens of medical device, IVD and pharma companies through some of the field's most complex material challenges. He asks the questions your R&D team would ask and gets you the answers you actually need.
Topics covered include:
• Sustainable plastics and eco-design strategies for MedTech
• Plastic selection for medical devices, in-vitro diagnostics and combination products
• Biocompatibility, sterilization and the medical grade concept
• Regulatory requirements and changes across global markets
• Recycling, medical waste, and the circular economy in healthcare
Is your team struggling to make your Device or Packaging more sustainable? Schedule a call with Lucas: https://calendly.com/lucas-pianegonda-gradical/discovery-call-gradical?
Learn more about Gradical and its services at www.gradical.ch
MedTech Sustainability by Design
Understanding LCAs: The Hidden Factors That Shape Environmental Impact with Thomas Kägi
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Many organizations rely on LCAs (Life Cycle Assessments) to guide sustainability decisions, but the method is only as reliable as the data and assumptions used to build it. In this episode, Thomas Kägi, Member of the Board at Carbotech AG, explains how to structure an LCA so that the results reflect real environmental impact and not just guesses or incomplete boundaries.
Thomas describes how the functional unit sets the entire frame for an analysis, why the use phase can overshadow production in environmental impact, and how to work with supplier-specific data when it is available. He also breaks down when uncertainty matters, how to start with a screening LCA, and why rules such as ISO standards and EPDs are essential for making comparisons that are fair.
In this conversation, we cover:
- Why an LCA only makes sense when the underlying question is clear
- How system boundaries shape the outcome of a study
- Why the use phase can account for most of a product's impact
- How to work with databases and supplier-specific data
- When uncertainty in LCA data matters and when it does not
- How standards create comparability across different products
🎧 If you want a practical understanding of how environmental impact is measured and how to avoid common mistakes, this episode provides a grounded and straightforward guide.
Connect with Thomas Kägi:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-k%C3%A4gi-262648a0/
Connect with us:
If you're a MedTech company evaluating commercialization risk or sustainability challenges, let’s talk: https://lucaspianegonda.clickfunnels.com/optin1756907952105
🎧 Subscribe to the Gradical Podcast for insights on MedTech sustainability and innovation:
🟣 Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gradical-podcast-the-podcast-about-plastics-in/id1773569554
🟢 Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/4vNQ6rPE2CQUGgQtEY3sYq
📺 YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@GradicalGmbH
🌍 Learn more about Gradical: https://gradical.ch/
📩 Work with Lucas and the team: lucas.pianegonda@gradical.ch
Do you enjoy this podcast? Then subscribe, rate it on your platform, and join the discussion on LinkedIn! Your feedback and comments help us improve the podcast and bring you relevant topics. Let’s form a better world with plastics!
If you are a Medtech company struggling to make your devices more sustainable, let’s talk—BOOK A CALL HERE.