FAQs
Plastic Pipette Tips: Over 62 Million Washed and Reused
What is the tip reuse technology for Grenova? ›
Tipnovus™ enables labs to re-use plastic pipette tips numerous times, cutting associated consumable costs by up to 96%. The unique method of wash and sanitation is safe for both the lab and the environment.
Can you wash and reuse pipette tips? ›
Pipette tips can be washed and reused up to 40 times.
What should you do with used plastic pipette tips? ›
Non-hazardous micropipette tips can be collected for recycling. Collect in a puncture-proof container. BL1 and BL2 tips must be decontaminated with bleach or alcohol before being deposited into a recycling bin.
Why are pipette tips rarely reusable? ›
If you have reagents that you will use some of and then put back in the freezer, reusing pipette tips is not a good idea. That is because the reagent needs to be put back into stock. Do you realise the scale of contamination that would occur if the reagent got contaminated due to the reuse of the pipette tip?
What are the 3 types of environmental tips * reuse? ›
Reduce, reuse and recycle: The “three Rs” to help the planet
That massive amount plus the other things that come in plastic add up to more than 350 million tonnes a year. Reducing, reusing and recycling plastic is key in countering the devastation wreaked by climate change.
Can you autoclave and reuse pipette tips? ›
Yes. Conical tubes and even pipette tips can be washed and/or autoclaved and reused. Pipette tip boxes can be repurposed to hold other lab supplies or as containers for Western blots.
How do you sterilize plastic pipette tips? ›
Pipette sterilization
Autoclaving is the simplest sterilization method if all pipette parts tolerate extreme heat. Pipettes should be autoclaved according to the manufacturer's instructions. To achieve sterility, a holding time of at least 20 minutes at 121°C (252°F) is required.
Can you wash plastic pipettes? ›
Outside the pipette
For aqueous solutions, rinse the contaminated parts with distilled water or 70% ethanol and air dry at 60° F.
What happens to used pipette tips? ›
Instead of discarding the tips after use, scientists just eject each tip back into an empty rack. The racks go into TipNovus. Depending on which system, Tipnovus can process 4 racks every 10 -12 minutes. The smaller system can process one rack every 6 minutes.
According to the WCM's waste disposal procedures, a "sharp" is any glass, metal, plastic instrument or item that can cut or has the potential to cut, puncture, scratch or abrade skin, whether it is contaminated or not. Using this definition, a pipette tip is considered a sharp and must be placed in a sharps container.
Should you pre wet pipette tips? ›
Pre-wet the pipette tip
Aspirate and expel any sample liquid at least three times before aspirating a sample for delivery. Evaporation within the tip can cause significant sample loss before delivery. Pre-wetting increases humidity within the tip, thus reducing any variation in sample evaporation.
What plastic is used for pipette tips? ›
Most pipette tips and their boxes are made of either low density polyethylene (LDPE, plastic #4), or polypropylene (PP, plastic #5).
Why are pipette tips so expensive? ›
Regardless of the production capacity for these tips, manufacturers often report that they cannot keep up with the demand and that the cost of raw materials related to petroleum and associated shipping cost are extremely high on their end.
Why is there a shortage of pipette tips? ›
There's no singular explanation for the shortage. The sudden explosion of Covid-19 tests last year — each of which relies on pipette tips — certainly played a role. But the effects of natural disasters and other freak accidents further up the supply chain have also cascaded down to laboratory benches.
How to wash and reuse pipette tips? ›
The used pipette tips can be put in cetrimide solution (10%) for 24 h (If they had been used in special cases such as bacteria). Remove the solution and transfer them to the distilled water. Remove the water after 30 min and repeat it two or three times.
What technology is used to reuse plastic? ›
It's called advanced recycling.
These technologies turn used solid plastic into its gas or liquid raw materials to be remade into brand new plastic for use in virtually any plastic product or packaging.
What technology is being used to get rid of plastic? ›
Nuclear science and technology can play a key role on both fronts. Irradiation can be used to treat plastic waste, extending current recycling potential and enabling a wider and higher-value reuse. Nuclear science is also used to identify, trace and monitor plastics in the ocean, particularly microplastics.
What are the 5 types of reduce reuse recycle? ›
According to the 5 R's, four actions should be taken, if possible, prior to 'recycling': refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and then recycle. Incorporating this methodology into your business' waste reduction and recycling efforts will minimize landfill waste and help take your recycling program to the next level.
What is the technology of recycling? ›
3D printing is being used to recycle plastic waste into new products. This technology allows for the creation of new products using recycled plastic, reducing the need for virgin materials and waste. Pyrolysis is a process that converts plastic waste into fuel.