Manual and Automated Liquid Handling Sustainability | Regrind Plastics, Material Reduction, and Sustainable Packaging | Corning

Liquid handling techniques such as pipetting play a large role in day-to-day operations in many life science laboratories. Automated liquid handling systems help researchers save time and reduce human error, promoting consistency and repeatability of experiments. Unfortunately, both manual and automated liquid handling processes have traditionally generated large amounts of waste—including plastic pipette tips, tip racks, tubes, and reservoirs, in addition to packaging for these items.

However, recent innovations and new products are making it easier to cut down on liquid handling waste. At Corning Life Sciences, sustainability experts are incorporating strategies like material reduction, the use of regrind plastic in manufacturing, and design for recyclability. Let's explore some of these developments.

What Are Regrind Plastics and How Are They Used?

There are many different types of regrind plastics—including pre-consumer, post-consumer, and post-industrial regrind. Many manufacturing lines at Corning Life Sciences are now reducing their environmental impact by using pre-consumer regrind plastic. Zack Heath, Product Line Manager for pipette tips and microcentrifuge tubes at Corning Life Sciences, explained how this works. Scrap plastic generated during manufacturing is ground up, fed back into the manufacturing process, and used to generate a new part.

While some of Corning's lab products, including Corning® Universal Fit pipet tips and Axygen® HybridRack® pipet tips, are validated to use up to 35% regrind, Heath said, the amount of regrind in the final product varies based on how much scrap is available. "We don't currently have a steady supply of regrind plastic, so the percentage of regrind varies from day to day," he said. Manufacturing lines that regrind their scrap reduce their environmental impact because they use less virgin plastic, and plastic scrap isn't sent into a waste stream.

Todd Gilmore, Senior Product Line Manager for automation tips and reservoirs at Corning Life Sciences, explained, "There's also postconsumer regrind plastic. If somebody were to take one of our racks after it's used and grind it up to make a new part, that would be postconsumer regrind."

Corning isn't currently using postconsumer regrind in liquid handling product lines, but sustainability experts at Corning are exploring ways to use it in the future to limit lab waste. This would be an important step toward circularity, a model in which waste is recaptured after use and returned to the system to be made into new products. Corning also partners with other organizations to divert regrind unable to be used internally to other applications.

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Tip Rack Sustainability

Another recent development is the Axygen HybridRack sustainable pipet tip system. Corning engineers replaced the base of the rack with recyclable paperboard to reduce plastic content. The Axygen HybridRack is made in an ENERGY STAR®-certified, ISO 14001-registered facility.

Heath explained that although traditional tip racks made from polypropylene #5 may be labeled as recyclable, more often than not, they end up in as lab waste. "Polypropylene #5 is pretty hard to recycle. Most recycling departments don't take it." The new hybrid rack still uses polypropylene #5 but in much smaller quantities, as the hybrid design incorporates 70% less plastic compared to a traditional tip rack. Meanwhile, the paperboard can be recycled through most curbside recycling programs.

The redesigned racks provide a stable platform for manual pipetting and can be used to load single- or multi-channel pipets. Some manual users may have to train themselves to use a little less force when applying tips than they're used to, Heath said.

Another consideration is reloading. While the majority of Corning's nonautomated customers don't rerack tips, those who do should keep in mind that the redesigned low-plastic racks can only be reloaded one to a few times.

Gilmore explained that tip racks for use with robotic liquid handling systems have more constrained requirements. "Robots load tips with a tremendous amount of force. Racks for automated liquid handling need greater strength, so plastic is used." More sustainable all-plastic racks are in Corning's future. Gilmore said that they are working toward using postconsumer regrind in manufacturing tip racks. This could incorporate postconsumer lab or non-lab plastics, from pipet tips to milk bottles.

Sustainable Packaging in Liquid Handling

Recently, Corning updated the packaging for its Axygen brand products, making environmentally friendly changes to both the individual pack boxes and to the outer shipping containers. By the end of 2024, all Axygen products, including tips for manual or automated liquid handling, microcentrifuge tubes, PCR consumables, storage plates, and liquid handling instruments will transition to the newer, more sustainable packaging.

Gilmore explained the rationale behind the two-fold redesign. "The old boxes were all black and had lots of graphics, so they used a lot of petroleum-based ink. Because of the inks, the box was nonrecyclable." This caused some confusion, he said. "Customers would put (the box) into the recycling, but once it reached recycling facilities, they would throw it into a waste stream." Corning designers created a new, simpler box that uses 80% less ink than the previous version. The packaging uses aqueous ink, and the box is now 100% recyclable.

In addition, Corning made changes to the outer shipping containers for Axygen products. "The outer box was previously bleached cardboard — the bleaching process involves wastes from the use of dioxins and other chemicals. We switched to a plain kraft box to lessen the use of chemicals," Gilmore said.

Select Axygen products now have Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. While helping customers meet sustainability goals, the new packaging is high-quality and provides stability and peace of mind while products are in transport.

Practical Tools to Enhance Sustainability

Today, many companies and academic institutions are prioritizing sustainable practices in the lab. Corning's sustainably redesigned products can help you meet your climate and waste reduction goals.

Some steps your lab can take today include:

  • Seek out products designed to contain less plastic and manufactured in sustainably certified facilities.
  • Look for manufacturers that are incorporating recycled plastic or manufacturer's regrind plastic whenever possible.
  • Consider the impact of packaging and choose products with recyclable or returnable packaging.
  • Keep abreast of new developments by signing up for Corning sustainability updates.

Visit the Corning Life Sciences website to learn more about liquid handling solutions and sustainability in life sciences.