First ISCC PLUS certifications pave the way for renewable plastics at Sartorius
Sartorius supports more sustainable biopharma manufacturing by extending ISCC PLUS certification, enabling the use of certified renewable raw materials across several product lines. This reduces the share of fossil-based plastics while maintaining compatibility with existing bioprocesses.
ISCC PLUS is a global standard for renewable and recycled raw materials that ensures transparent and traceable sourcing and compliance across the value chain based on a mass-balance system. Sartorius achieved certification for its Aubagne (France) and Stonehouse (United Kingdom) sites in 2025. The scope is now extended to additional sites, including Göttingen (Germany), M’Hamdia (Tunisia), and Yauco (Puerto Rico).
ISCC PLUS-certified materials are applied across key product groups, including Ambr® bioreactor vessels, Vivaflow® filters, Sartopore Evo® filters, and selected Flexsafe® bags. Their use enables a reduction of fossil-based compounds by around 70 percent in Flexsafe® film, 50 percent in Ambr® vessels, and an average of 40–60 percent in Sartopore Evo® filters.
“Our biopharma customers aim to increase production output while delivering on ambitious sustainability goals. Sartorius’ single-use technologies and process intensification solutions have long helped biopharma manufacturers make their processes more efficient – increasing output and reducing environmental impact,” said René Fáber, Head of the Bioprocess Division and Member of the Executive Board at Sartorius. “By integrating ISCC PLUS-certified materials into additional key product groups, we are offering more sustainable alternatives while ensuring full compatibility with existing workflows. This reflects our commitment to reducing fossil-based materials and advancing sustainability in biomanufacturing.”
More information about Sartorius’ sustainability ambitions at www.sartorius.com/sustainability
Plastic Mass Balance Approach
Figure 1: Schematic supply chain from cradle to grave, showing the mass balance allocation of the renewable feedstock to the resin. Using 1 kg of r-Polymer obliges the manufacturer to use an additional equivalent amount of renewable oils into their Steam Cracker, decoupling polymer manufacturing from fossil resources
ISCC PLUS certification ensures traceability, allowing us to track the origin and production process of our materials. This transparency will help us maintain the integrity of our supply chain and enhance environmental sustainability.
At Sartorius, we believe that sustainability is not just a goal but a responsibility. By adopting ISCC PLUS certified materials, we’re aiming to support you in your sustainability goals, and promote sustainable practices across biopharmaceutical manufacturing.
Frequently Asked Questions
ISCC PLUS is a voluntary certification that focuses on leveraging renewable energy sources to improve the bioeconomy and circular economy of food, feed, chemicals, plastics, packaging, textiles, and renewable feedstock. You can read more about the certification on the ISCC website.
We’re dedicated to reducing the carbon footprint of our products and supporting the transition to a circular economy. ISCC PLUS certification will enable us to use biobased, biocircular, and recycled content materials in production at our sites in Stonehouse and Aubagne, meaning we can source our products more sustainably and contribute toward a circular economy.
The mass balance approach makes it possible to mix renewable and fossil feedstock-derived materials in production, as well as allocate and track a specific proportion of the output as renewable, ensuring flexibility and traceability in the supply chain.
Using ISCC PLUS certified materials with renewable content ensures that we source our materials sustainably, contributing to a circular economy and reducing our overall environmental impact without having to revalidate our products. By following the mass balance approach, we’ll be able to leave all materials and components unchanged. Our products will maintain the same technical and performance specifications, and ISCC PLUS certification will have no impact on their fit, form, or function.
ISCC PLUS certifies the entire supply chain through independent audits and rigorous documentation. This ensures transparency and accountability at every step, from raw material sourcing to the finished product.
ISCC PLUS certification verifies responsible sourcing and processing, supports carbon emission reduction, and promotes resource circularity. By guaranteeing traceability, this certification protects the integrity of our supply chain and helps us meet our goals in environmental sustainability.
By certifying recycled and biocircular feedstock, ISCC PLUS enables the use of recycled plastics, helping reduce plastic waste and promote resource efficiency.
Independent audits verify mass balance accuracy and compliance with sustainability standards and provide an objective assessment of adherence to ISCC PLUS requirements.
Yes, particularly to plastics that incorporate recycled, biobased, or biocircular content.
Mass balance allocation integrates recycled, biocircular, or biobased content into production without altering product specifications. This enables a scalable sustainability approach without changing the fit, form, or function of our products.
Ambr® bioreactor vessels and Vivaflow® SU tangential flow filtration cassettes will be the first to use biocircular ISCC PLUS certified materials. Additional products will be onboarded in a stepwise approach, and we will proactively inform existing customers about new product certificates in a dedicated information letter via email.
The polymer of our products will not change, meaning that the products won’t be biodegradable.
The term "bioplastic" doesn't have a single definition and can mean different things depending on how it's used. It can refer to plastics made from renewable materials like plants instead of oil, which are called biobased plastics. It can also mean plastics that are safe to use in the body, known as biocompatible plastics, like those used in medical implants or patches. Lastly, it can describe plastics that break down naturally in the environment, called biodegradable plastics. The meaning of "bioplastic" can vary based on whether we're referring to what it's made from, how it's used, or how it breaks down.
