Repurposing Laboratory Plastic into Functional Fibrous Scaffolds via Green Electrospinning for Cell Culture and Tissue Engineering Applications

Cell culture for tissue engineering is a global and flexible research method that heavily relies on plastic consumables generating millions of tons of plastic waste annually. An innovative more sustainable method for scaffold production has been developed by repurposing spent tissue culture polystyrene into biocompatible microfiber scaffolds using environmentally friendly solvents. The green electrospinning approach utilized two green solvents, dihydrolevoglucosenone (Cyrene) and dimethyl carbonate (DMC) to process laboratory cell culture Petri dishes into polymer dopes for electrospinning. Scaffolds produced from these spinning dopes, with aligned and nonaligned microfiber configuration, exhibited mechanical properties comparable to cancellous bones. Aligned scaffolds demonstrated an ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 4.58 ± 0.34 MPa and a Young’s modulus of 11.87 ± 0.54 MPa, while nonaligned scaffolds exhibited a UTS of 4.27 ± 0.92 MPa and a Young’s modulus of 20.37 ± 4.85 MPa. MG63 osteoblast-like cells were seeded onto aligned and nonaligned scaffolds to assess biocompatibility, cell adhesion, and differentiation. Cell viability, DNA content, and proliferation were monitored over 14 days. DNA quantification showed an 8-fold increase from 0.195 μg/mL (day 1) to 1.55 μg/mL (day 14), with a significant rise in cell metabolic activity over 7 days and no observed cytotoxic effects. Confocal microscopy revealed elongated cell alignment on aligned fiber scaffolds, while rounded, disoriented cells were observed on nonaligned fiber scaffolds. Alizarin Red staining and calcium quantification confirmed osteogenic differentiation, evidenced by mineral deposition on the scaffolds. This research is the first to demonstrate the feasibility of repurposing laboratory polystyrene waste into sustainable cell culture tissue engineering fibrous scaffolds using eco-friendly solvents. Such an approach exemplifies a paradigm shift toward more sustainable and environmentally conscious scientific practices, aligning with the principles of a circular economy.