A path has opened to recycle fat that hospitals used to discard as waste after liposuction. Human fat contains collagen and various stem cells, which can be used to regenerate damaged skin or organs.
Waste fat has been incinerated until now, but it is drawing attention as related laws change to allow its use as a new resource. Still, because it is derived from the human body, some say meticulous care is needed to prevent spoilage and avoid ethical problems.
◇Is fat's transformation innocent? It can be recycled going forward
On the 26th, according to the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, a bill to amend the Waste Management Act that includes these measures recently passed a plenary session of the National Assembly. Previously, with the exception of the placenta, medical waste was in principle not recyclable, and only some could be used for research. Going forward, not only the placenta but also human-derived fat will be allowed to be recycled after verifying bioethics compliance and safety.
The industry estimates the added value at 1 billion–2 billion won per 1 kilogram of human waste fat. According to the National Assembly Research Service's "Issues and Tasks in Recycling Human-Derived Waste," various components such as collagen and elastin can be extracted from waste fat generated by liposuction or excision. Research-use collagen from the placenta is in transaction at around 800,000 won per 5 mg (as of 2020). The industry believes that similar components can be extracted from fat and used for cosmetic procedures or burn treatment to create added value.
A bio industry official said, "Previously, when making skin boosters, which are cosmetic injections, we received the human skin—epidermis, dermis, and the subcutaneous fat underneath—all at once, discarded the fat, and produced the product," adding, "Going forward, a path has opened to commercialize the attached fat as well."
◇Safety and ethics issues must be prevented… "Getting donor consent is one option"
Some also say that, since human fat is being reused, safety must be ensured and medical ethics must not be violated. An official at the climate ministry said, "We can verify the health status of the person from whom the waste fat comes," and noted, "In the case of the placenta, it is usually stored frozen; fat also risks spoilage, so storage is important."
The climate ministry plans to continue detailed discussions in consultation with relevant agencies. For example, a measure is being reviewed to allow only products certified as medical devices or pharmaceuticals by the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety to be used on the market. Products that do not pass the regulator would not be allowed to be used.
An official at the climate ministry explained, "It is also an option to recycle waste fat only when patients undergoing liposuction are informed and give consent," adding, "We must ensure there are no cases of taking excessive benefits in the process of extracting and distributing necessary components from waste fat." The related bill will take effect one year after promulgation.