- It is estimated that for each rapid test carried out, around 10 grams of plastic are generated that will never be recycled.
- During the pandemic, disposable plastic increased by up to 300% worldwide.
- Against this background, Gelassette emerged, the first rapid Covid-19 test that is biodegradable and environmentally friendly.
A consequence of the pandemic that is often not mentioned is the enormous amount of garbage that has been generated. From face masks to single-use plastic, they have seen a worrying increase over the last two years. That is why various ecological associations have requested urgent action. As a result, a Covid-19 rapid test that is also biodegradable and the highlight is that it is a Mexican project.
In this sense, one of the warnings of the World Health Organization (WHO) is that the SARS-CoV-2 virus could become endemic like HIV. If so, it is necessary to prepare to live with him forever.
Similarly, it is expected to be like the influenza and during some times of the year register an increase in cases. Therefore, in addition to prevention and hygiene measures, it is also necessary to have sufficient supplies to confirm cases in suspicious people.
Innovation created in Mexico
The man behind this idea is Luis Fernando Sánchez, who is a graduate of the Industrial Design career at the Tecnológico de Monterrey campus in Mexico City. From the current context created Gelassette. It is a rapid biodegradable test for the detection of the virus that causes Covid-19.
Its container is called a cassette and the most novel thing is that it degrades in less than four weeks at ground level and dissolves in water in less than three hours. The main attribute of this product is that all those parts that are usually made of plastic are now imitated by a 100% environmentally friendly medical grade gelatin.
“The International Association for Waste Management estimates that disposable plastic has increased by up to 300% since the start of the pandemic. Given that COVID-19 is likely to be part of our lives, we must consider how to manage single-use protection products as well as rapid antigen tests and their production,” said Luis Fernando Sánchez.
The problem of garbage generated by current rapid tests
According to its creator, Every time a rapid detection test is carried out for this virus, around 10 grams of plastic are thrown away that will never be recycled. Although it seems like a minimal amount, when multiplying by the millions of tests that are used, large tons of garbage are generated.
Therefore, this innovative project aims to solve medical waste control around the world with viable and affordable solutions for all, while seeking a balance between caring for the environment and public health.
In fact, this venture recently signed an NDA (Non Disclosure Agreements) with one of the largest collagen producers in the world to start laboratory tests next October. The goal is to replace all plastic in testing by 2030.
At the same time, gelassette participated in the Salone Satellite of Milan in its 2022 edition and was nominated for the exhibition award. While on October 27 it will be part of the exhibition Design + Health at the Valencian Museum of Illustration and Modernity in Spain.
It should be noted that the creative process of gelassette It was held in 2020 with the collaboration of another Tecnológico de Monterrey graduate, Daniel López Velasco. Currently Luis Fernando, together with the foundation of Okos Diagnosticsworks with the mission of transforming the reality of single-use tests so that medical diagnoses comply with a sustainable process.
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