BioBased - Your Pathway to More Sustainable Lab Consumables
The Challenge
Making polymer products and components substantially and measurably more sustainable according to the "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" concept without compromising product quality and performance.
The Solution
Since oil-based plastic consumables have replaced glass consumables, they have become irreplaceable in laboratories around the world, providing quality standards needed in increasingly demanding research. This is the growing challenge in respect to sustainability. Thus, Eppendorf™ not only focuses on the development of new products but also on new, more environmentally friendly manufacturing materials.
Bioplastic made of second generation material reuses material which was already used before in the food industry.
The Proof
As science requires evidence, a carbon-footprint analysis of our 5 mL tube was conducted, comparing classic fossil oil-based tubes with biobased tubes. The externally executed study with a cradle-to-gate approach showed a significant CO2 saving. With at least 90% biobased material in the tube, this results in 17.9% carbon savings or 3.3 g CO2 per tube. These results are published in WhitePaper 93.
The results of the 5 mL analysis were the starting point for estimating the carbon-saving for the other biobased tube sizes. Based on the change in raw material alone, we can indicate a CO2 saving for the 15 mL tube of 5.6 g CO2, for the 25 mL tube of 6.7 g CO2, and for the 50 mL tube of 11.1 g CO2.
Since the first launch of the new tubes in 2022, Eppendorf has expanded the biobased consumables portfolio to include a new epT.I.P.S. reload system for filter and non-filter tips as well as the first biobased PCR plates. Further biobased products are in the pipeline.
What You Get
We now proudly expand the biobased portfolio from Eppendorf Tubes™ BioBased and epT.I.P.S.™ BioBased pipette tips, towards the first twin.tec™ PCR Plates BioBased. These plates are made of biobased polycarbonate (frame) and based on biobased polypropylene (wells).
We are pleased to see that biobased consumables are well accepted by more and more users.
Special Product Highlights
- The Eppendorf Production Center in Oldenburg, Germany is ISCC PLUS (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) certified
- ACT labeled (Accountability, Consistency, Transparency) – Environmental Impact Factor Certification conducted by My Green Lab™
- Tubes*, tips and plates are made from renewable feedstock (recycled e.g. from food oil wastes and residues), applying ISCC mass balance approach. For details, see the product label
- General Quality Certificates/Compliance with Standards are available separately for Eppendorf Tubes™ BioBased, epT.I.P.S.™ BioBased and twin.tec™ PCR plates BioBased
- Product-specific and lot-specific purity certificates, as well as an ISCC sustainability declaration for Eppendorf Tubes BioBased, epT.I.P.S. BioBased and twin.tec PCR plates BioBased, are available to download from the product page
* Produced with external power supply of 100% renewable sources. The screw caps are actual fossil-based material. The material switch will be made to BioBased in 2024.
