Surescreen to mass produce ‘world-first’ biodegradable Covid test

Derby-headquartered SureScreen Diagnostics is believed to be the first company in the world to mass produce biodegradable lateral flow test cassettes for Covid-19.

The tests will use biodegradable materials for the test cassette housing and will be available within weeks.

SureScreen has been at the forefront of UK testing for the past year and has exported to more than 50 countries across the world.

The company, which has long had a reputation for innovation, recognised that the increase in one-use medical products has been reversing the battle against plastic pollution.

Director David Campbell said: “We have analysed everything used to make a full kit to see where firstly we can reduce materials and secondly what alternative materials could improve the sustainability of the kits.

“Two of the big changes we are currently making is the use of PBAT and PLA for the test cassette and component bags. Both materials biodegrade a lot faster than traditional materials (depending on the environment – years rather than centuries.)

“This is just the start, and we are continuing to research and trial other plant-based materials throughout the kits to make them more sustainable.

“We hope other lateral flow test manufacturers will also move to using more sustainable materials wherever possible.

“We would welcome their collaboration on this project and we are very happy to share all of our research to help other companies move to using more sustainable materials.”