Life science products, sustainable

Colja Laane is corporate science manager in the Life Science Products cluster at DSM. He is (co)author of over 120 papers and about 20 patents, mostly in the area of industrial biotechnology. He is a member or chairman of several committees involved in chemistry education and setting up life sciences startup companies in the Netherlands. He also chairs the Industrial Biotechnology section of the European Platform on Sustainable Chemistry. He graduated in biochemistry from the University of Groningen and holds a PhD from Wageningen. 

Stevens WF (2001) Production of chitin and chitosan refinement and sustainability of chemical and biological processing. In Uragami et al (eds) Chitin and chitosan chitin and chitosan in life science. Kodansha Scientific, Tokyo, pp 293-300... 

Baitz M, Wolf M-A (2001) Sustainable product development on basis of the life cycle analysis of materials plastics and metals Synergy or competition Sustainable metals Workshop, University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg (Amim von Gleich)... 

All of these concerns should be taken into account, but the requested analysis of risks should also be carried out in terms of risk-benefit assessments. It is thus important for society to recognize the developments in science and in industry in the field of polymers. It is not generally known that plastics consume only 4% of global oil production and that their widespread use makes it possible to save a much larger quantity. In addition to this, at the end of their life they produce less waste, because they are lighter (less than 1% of the total weight of waste in Europe). The study by Claude Duval (see Chapter 2) allows us to address the intimate link between plastic waste and the environment. Thus, despite appearances, plastics undoubtedly contribute to sustainable development, and are beneficial for the future, as Michel Loubry attempts to demonstrate (see Chapter 4). 

Since chemistry is central for modern life and society chemistry education receives a special responsibility for contributing to ESD in formal and non-formal education. General and domain-specific knowledge and skills are to be developed to enable the individual to assess new chemistry-based products and technologies in their own life and in the society in which they live and operate, as well as to react appropriately. All students need to develop corresponding skills irrespective of whether or not they will later embark on a career in science and technology. All of them will become future citizens and need well-developed abilities for participation in societal debate and decision concerning issues of sustainable development. 

Kajikawa Y. Research core and fiamework of sustainabihty science. Sustain Sci 2008 3 215-239. Klopffer W. Life-cycle based methods for sustainable product development. Int J Life Cycle Assess 2003 8 (3) 157-159. 

Silvenius F, Katajajuuri J, Grdnman K, Koivupuro RHS, Virtanen Y. Role of packaging in LCA of food products. In Finkbeiner M, editor. Towards life Cycle Sustainability Management. Dordrecht Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011. 

Problem-focused RD D can also lead to unforeseeable advances. Research on objectives can provide improved understanding of the dimensions of sustainability, and of changes in users and stakeholders needs from altered behaviors and life styles. New concepts for infrastructure systems and products will arise from infrastructure RD D and advances in other areas. New tools and practices will be stimulated by advances in other engineering fields and in physical, biological, cognitive, and social sciences. 

---