Assessing the viability of 3D-printed poly(lactic acid) petri dishes: A sustainable alternative for laboratory use

There is a strong reliance on fossil fuel-based plastics in the life sciences sector and it has been estimated that global life-sciences (biology, medicine, etc.) alone create plastic waste of approximately 5.5 million tonnes/year with 99% of single-use laboratory plastics made from fossil-fuel sources There is growing interest in the viability of bioplastics as an alternative to fossil fuel-based single-use plastics in laboratory settings. Here, we report the use of polylactic acid (PLA) in the production of a single-use Petri dish. The properties of the PLA Petri dish are tested and compared to the standards for assessing plastics for use in labware, as per the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). We demonstrate, for the first time, that a compostable PLA Petri dish meets all the necessary standards for use in laboratories, thereby taking the first steps towards reducing the negative impacts of plastic waste in laboratories.