MedTech Sustainability by Design

Lucas Pianegonda
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  • Life Sciences
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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

  1. Corporate Sustainability Made Easy with Matthew Yamatin, Thermo Fisher

    Jun 17

    Corporate Sustainability Made Easy with Matthew Yamatin, Thermo Fisher

    How does a company with 120,000 colleagues and 500,000 products put a number on its carbon footprint and actually act on it? Matthew Yamatin is Global Director Sustainability at Thermo Fisher Scientific. He built the corporate sustainability program from scratch after joining in 2022 and now runs it across eight business groups. In this episode: - The scalable method Thermo Fisher uses to calculate product carbon footprints across half a million products - Why mass balance is the only realistic path to non-fossil plastics in a regulated industry - How biogenic carbon accounting actually works, and where the greenwashing debate sits - Why bio-based plastics stay tied to the oil price, and what it takes to decouple them - How to keep a sustainability program simple enough to move If you work in sustainability, procurement, or product development in life sciences or medtech, this gives you a model you can copy. Connect with Matthew: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewyamatin/ Thermo Fisher Scientific: https://www.thermofisher.com 00:00 How a 120,000-person company tackles sustainability at scale 01:16 The shampoo aisle problem 06:21 Inside Thermo Fisher 12:43 Scope 1, 2, 3 and the GHG Protocol 15:23 PCF vs CCF 17:50 The scalable PCF method 24:21 Why mass balance is the only scalable path 30:27 Biogenic carbon explained 40:59 Why bio-based costs more 44:10 Building a program from scratch 49:33 Find your North Star KPI 55:14 Closing 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. You can also check our Youtube Channel with lots of free trainings and resources here: Lucas R. Pianegonda - YouTube Website: www.gradical.ch

    56 min
  2. Don't Do Ego-Design | Bart Verleije, Voxdale

    Jun 3

    Don't Do Ego-Design | Bart Verleije, Voxdale

    "Do not do ego-design." A professor told Bart Verleije that in school, and it shaped how he has built medical devices ever since. Bart is Commercial Director at Voxdale, a Belgian design and engineering firm, with more than 1,400 projects over 19 years. He explains how a napkin sketch becomes a certified, manufacturable device, and where most MedTech projects go wrong before they reach a patient. In this episode: - His BURST framework: Business, User, Regulatory, Sustainability, Technology - Why design for manufacturability has to start on day one - How to stop feature creep and trade off conflicting requirements - The Ergotrics story: an inflatable system for turning and proning patients If you develop devices, this one will change how you scope your next project. Connect with Bart: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bartverleije/ Voxdale: https://www.voxdale.be 00:00 From a napkin sketch to a certified device 00:56 Meet Bart Verleije: 1,400+ projects, 19 years at Voxdale 01:45 Commit to your product before you build it 05:05 "Do not do ego-design" 06:42 Why every stakeholder needs at least a neutral stance 09:56 The BURST framework: Business, User, Regulatory, Sustainability, Technology 15:46 Design for manufacturability from day one 20:30 The operational cost teams overlook 23:20 A healthy take on AI in documentation 28:29 Database-first documentation and regulation as code 30:13 The conservation of misery: trading off requirements 34:04 Only five value drivers make the board 37:28 "How do you know this?" Breaking false requirements 40:11 Over-requirement is the biggest cost driver 41:33 From a highway traffic jam to proning patients 45:10 The toothpaste factory and the 20-dollar fan 48:17 Bart's advice: commit, talk to experts, stay in your lane 55:28 Closing 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. You can also check our Youtube Channel with lots of free trainings and resources here: Lucas R. Pianegonda - YouTube Website: www.gradical.ch

    56 min
  3. The Sustainable Plastic That's Actually CHEAPER Than Fossil Fuels with Alex Braun, Chairman of Pillar Ltd

    May 20

    The Sustainable Plastic That's Actually CHEAPER Than Fossil Fuels with Alex Braun, Chairman of Pillar Ltd

    Most sustainable plastics cost two to six times more than oil-based alternatives. That's why you don't see them everywhere. Alex Braun decided to fix that. Alex is the Chairman of Pillar Ltd, an Israeli industrial R&D company with 26 years of experience building materials for the world's largest manufacturers. Out of that work came three startups: PlasticBack, which chemically recycles PVC at under 100 degrees Celsius. Snow Polymers, which makes bio-based plastic at oil prices without requiring new machinery. And Inteligels, a smart wound care polymer that washes off with cold water instead of being peeled off a burn. Here's what we get into: Why most sustainable plastics fail commercially before they ever reach the marketHow Snow Polymers makes bio-based plastic price-competitive with fossil fuels using industrial waste as feedstockWhy PVC is the fourth-largest plastic produced but the last to be recycled, and what PlasticBack does about itHow Inteligels eliminates the most painful procedure in hospitalsThe R&D model that lets Pillar Ltd take risks that neither startups nor corporates canThis episode is sponsored by Pillar Ltd. If you want to make your products more sustainable, let's talk: https://calendly.com/lucas-pianegonda-gradical/discovery-call-gradical 🔗 CONNECT WITH Pillar Ltd: https://www.Pillar Ltd-ltd.com/about-us 🔗 CONNECT WITH US: 🎧 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 🌍 Gradical: https://gradical.ch/  📩 Work with us: lucas.pianegonda@gradical.ch #MedTechSustainabilityByDesign #GradicalPodcast #SustainablePlastics #Bioplastics #ChemicalRecycling #PVC #WoundCare #DeepTech #MaterialScience 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. You can also check our Youtube Channel with lots of free trainings and resources here: Lucas R. Pianegonda - YouTube Website: www.gradical.ch

    52 min
  4. The Autoinjector Redesigned: Less Plastic, Lower Cost, Same Safety with John Palmer-Felgate, Founder & CTO of Eco-Inject

    May 6

    The Autoinjector Redesigned: Less Plastic, Lower Cost, Same Safety with John Palmer-Felgate, Founder & CTO of Eco-Inject

    Over a billion autoinjectors are used every year. Almost all of them are single-use. Almost all of that plastic gets incinerated. John Palmer-Felgate spent 30 years designing medical devices. At some point, he decided to actually fix the problem. John is the Founder and CTO of Eco-Inject, a UK startup that has built a sustainable autoinjector from the ground up using 100% bio-based polymers, fewer components, and a completely rethought internal architecture. Here's what we get into: Why you can't just swap in sustainable materials and call it a dayHow John reduced the device to five simple plastic moldingsWhy the production line footprint is a quarter of the current standardHow Eco-Inject achieves a lower cost of goods and better sustainability at the same timeThe commercial reality of selling sustainability to pharma procurement This episode is sponsored by Eco-Inject. If you want to make your medical devices more sustainable, let's talk: https://calendly.com/lucas-pianegonda-gradical/discovery-call-gradical 🔗 CONNECT WITH JOHN PALMER-FELGATE: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-palmer-felgate/  🔗 CONNECT WITH ECO-INJECT: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eco-inject/posts/?feedView=all 🔗 CONNECT WITH US: 🎧 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 🌍 Gradical: https://gradical.ch/  📩 Work with us: lucas.pianegonda@gradical.ch #MedTechSustainabilityByDesignPodcast #GradicalPodcast #MedTech #AutoInjector #SustainableDesign #MedicalDevices #Bioplastics #DrugDelivery 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. You can also check our Youtube Channel with lots of free trainings and resources here: Lucas R. Pianegonda - YouTube Website: www.gradical.ch

    45 min
  5. CAPA Done Right: How to Turn Quality Firefighting into Continuous Improvement with Georg Digel, Founder of Elevate CAPA

    Apr 22

    CAPA Done Right: How to Turn Quality Firefighting into Continuous Improvement with Georg Digel, Founder of Elevate CAPA

    A lot of MedTech companies treat CAPA as a compliance exercise. They open a record, close a record, and survive the audit. Georg Digel has spent his career watching what happens when that's the only goal… and it's not pretty. Georg is the Founder and Owner of Elevate CAPA. He has spent years helping MedTech companies build CAPA systems that actually work: ones that identify real problems, trace them to their root cause, and prevent them from coming back. Here's what we get into: Why CAPA is one of the most misunderstood processes in medical technology The difference between a non-conformity and a CAPAWhat auditors actually find when they inspect CAPA systems Why "death by CAPA" happens and how to avoid it How management culture makes or breaks the whole thing What a lean, functional CAPA process looks like in practice🔗 CONNECT WITH GEORG DIGEL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgdigel/?locale=de 🔗 CONNECT WITH US: 🎧 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 🌍 Gradical: https://gradical.ch/  📩 Work with us: lucas.pianegonda@gradical.ch #MedTechSustainabilityByDesignPodcast #GradicalPodcast #MedTech #CAPA #QualityManagement #MedicalDevices #ContinuousImprovement #QMS #Compliance 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. You can also check our Youtube Channel with lots of free trainings and resources here: Lucas R. Pianegonda - YouTube Website: www.gradical.ch

    45 min
  6. Remanufacturing Single-Use Medical Devices with Ulrike Marczak, CEO at Vanguard

    Apr 15

    Remanufacturing Single-Use Medical Devices with Ulrike Marczak, CEO at Vanguard

    This episode is brought to you by Vanguard, a company specializing in remanufacturing single-use medical devices to as-good-as-new condition. A device labeled "single-use" gets thrown away after one patient. That makes sense for a syringe. It makes a lot less sense for a cardiac catheter that costs thousands of euros. Ulrike Marczak is the CEO of Vanguard, a company that has been remanufacturing complex single-use medical devices for 30 years. They take used devices from hospitals, fully refurbish them, put their own CE mark on them, and send them back. Safe, legal, and up to 50% cheaper for the hospital. Here's what we get into: The difference between reprocessing and remanufacturingWhy remanufacturing makes sense economically, ecologically, and operationally for certain devicesHow Vanguard tests every single device 100%Which devices are good candidates, and where the business case breaks downWhat OEM manufacturers should be thinking about when they design for the futureIf you want to make your medical devices more sustainable, let's talk: https://calendly.com/lucas-pianegonda-gradical/discovery-call-gradical 🔗 CONNECT WITH ULRIKE MARCZAK:  Vanguard: https://www.vanguard.de/vanguard-ag/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ulrike-marczak-138045115/ 🔗 CONNECT WITH US:  🎧 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  🌍 Gradical: https://gradical.ch/  📩 Work with us: lucas.pianegonda@gradical.ch #MedtechSustainabilityByDesignPodcast #GradicalPodcast #MedTech #CircularEconomy #SingleUse #Remanufacturing #MedicalDevices #Sustainability #HealthcareInnovation 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. You can also check our Youtube Channel with lots of free trainings and resources here: Lucas R. Pianegonda - YouTube Website: www.gradical.ch

    41 min
  7. The Bio-Based Pipette at comparable costs to conventional Plastic | Bastien Manuel, Commercial Director at elm-plastic

    Apr 8

    The Bio-Based Pipette at comparable costs to conventional Plastic | Bastien Manuel, Commercial Director at elm-plastic

    Bastien Manuel recognized that sustainability was inevitable for most medical plastic manufacturers. At elmplastic,  he proactively established his business with that future in mind. He's Commercial Director at elm-plastic GmbH, a Germany-based, family-owned converter of plastic and manufacturer of pharmaceutical plastic devices. In 2025, they launched what they believe is the only commercially available bio-based plastic oral dosing device on the market: a sustainable pharmaceutical pipette made exclusively made from bio-sourced materials. In this episode, he discusses their approach, how they achieved it, and why the cost argument against sustainable medical plastics is less compelling than most procurement teams believe. Here's what we get into: How eco-design can offset the higher price of bio-based raw materialsWhy volume, scale, and long-term contracts change the equation entirelyHow a family-owned business moves faster on sustainability than PE-backed competitorsWhy early adopters of sustainable medical plastics are gaining a strategic market advantage nowAn overview of the current regulatory requirements for pharmaceutical companies and what developments are expected nextIf you want to make your medical devices more sustainable, let's talk: https://calendly.com/lucas-pianegonda-gradical/discovery-call-gradical 🔗 CONNECT WITH BASTIEN MANUEL: Website: https://elmplastic.com/de/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bastianmanuel/ 🔗 CONNECT WITH US:  🎧 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  🌍 Gradical: https://gradical.ch/  📩 Work with us: lucas.pianegonda@gradical.ch #MedtechSustainabilityByDesignPodcast #GradicalPodcast #MedTech #MedicalDevices #Bioplastics #SustainableMedTech #Pharma 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. You can also check our Youtube Channel with lots of free trainings and resources here: Lucas R. Pianegonda - YouTube Website: www.gradical.ch

    45 min
  8. How Advisory Boards Can Help You Make Strategically Sound Decisions with Jordan Morrison, Founding Partner at Synera Advisory

    Apr 1

    How Advisory Boards Can Help You Make Strategically Sound Decisions with Jordan Morrison, Founding Partner at Synera Advisory

    This episode is brought to you by Synera Advisory. Most MedTech founders treat FDA clearance like it's the finish line. Jordan Morrison has an entire bookshelf of cleared devices that can't sell to prove it isn't. She's Founding Partner at Synera Advisory, a physician-backed advisory group supporting founders from concept through commercialization. In this episode, she explains why so many MedTech startups run out of road after clearance, and what to do instead. Here's what we get into: Why FDA clearance and a reimbursement strategy are two completely different thingsThe difference between physician founders and engineer founders, and where each gets stuckHow to build an advisory board without burning through equityWhy US value analysis committees will kill your device if you can't make a financial caseThe lean three-person board structure that can take you to Series AIf you want to make your medical devices more sustainable, let's talk: https://calendly.com/lucas-pianegonda-gradical/discovery-call-gradical 🔗 CONNECT WITH JORDAN MORRISON:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajordanmorrison/ Synera Advisory: https://syneraadvisory.org/ 🔗 CONNECT WITH US:  🎧 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  🌍 Gradical: https://gradical.ch/  📩 Work with us: lucas.pianegonda@gradical.ch #MedTechSustainabilityByDesignPodcast #GradicalPodcast #MedTech #MedicalDevices #FDAclearance #Reimbursement #AdvisoryBoard 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. You can also check our Youtube Channel with lots of free trainings and resources here: Lucas R. Pianegonda - YouTube Website: www.gradical.ch

    49 min
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About

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

Information

  • Creator
    Lucas Pianegonda
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    45
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 MedTech Sustainability by Design
  • Show Website
    MedTech Sustainability by Design