Sustainability Matters: Polylactic acid, a natural origin polyester for the rapid prototyping of microfluidic devices

The nature of the material to be employed is one of the first factors manufacturers must take into account when embarking upon the design and production of a new microfluidic device. The required microfluidic functions, degree of integration and application are the principal issues that must be considered when choosing a material. However, environmental sustainability is another concern that is becoming of increasing importance. Started in the 20th century, the massive production of single-use, disposable, medical items led to a drastic increase of medical plastic waste worldwide. Nowadays, the rationale behind the whole life-cycle of a product has become crucial to the design of new devices. Herein, we propose the use of Polylactic acid (PLA), a material derived from renewable resources, as bulk material for the sustainable production of microfluidic devices, using a layer by layer rapid prototyping technique.