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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
Can Chemical Recycling Solve MedTech's Sustainability Crisis? with Reinier Grimbergen
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Chemical recycling is often presented as a silver bullet. But is it actually viable for medical-grade plastics?
In this episode, I speak with Reinier Grimbergen, CTO of Blue Circle Olefins, about what chemical recycling really is, how it differs from mechanical recycling, and where it actually makes sense for MedTech.
This conversation is technical, practical, and grounded in industrial reality. We talk about pyrolysis vs gasification, energy trade-offs, feedstock constraints, economics, and why some recycling routes can deliver virgin-quality polymers suitable for medical and food-contact applications.
Inside this episode, you will learn:
✔ What chemical recycling actually means at the molecular level
✔ Why mechanical recycling alone likely caps out around 40 percent
✔ Why higher energy use can enable higher-quality recycled polymers
✔ How chemical recycling could unlock circular plastics for medical applications
✔ What determines the economics of chemical recycling at scale
If you work in MedTech and want to understand where chemical recycling actually fits, this episode will help you think more clearly about materials, sustainability claims, and long-term feasibility.
🔗 Connect with Reinier Grimbergen:
Blue Circle Olefins: https://bluecircle-olefins.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reiniergrimbergen/
Connect with us:
🎧 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
If you're a MedTech company struggling to make your devices more sustainable, CLICK here: https://lucaspianegonda.clickfunnels.com/optin1756907952105
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.