We take your rack back! Greiner Bio-One takes another step towards sustainability
As a plastics company environmental protection, sustainable management and recycling are not only opportunities for us, but also a mission, a direction to follow and one of the core values of our corporate strategy.
Only possible in Hungary: Our below-initiative is about an opportunity to take another step towards circular business with reusing/recycling pipette tip racks. We strive to develop sustainable, resource-efficient solutions that meet global challenges of our time. To reach these ambitious goals, in March 2022 we launched our new project, with the primary goal of recollecting, reusing or recycling our empty pipette tip racks.
Background
Customers typically use tip racks only once. When emptied, - as current waste management practice goes - they are collected with hazardous waste and disposed of in incinerators or landfills. All ways of scrapping have harmful impact on environment and deprives plastics industry of precious, high-quality polypropylene. Scrapped racks are practically new, reusing them is also an option for those who would buy new, empty ones for bulk-packed pipette tips, furthermore where sterility and PCR-grade status is not a must.
Within this concept, two circular pathways are considered:
- Recycling: the primary goal of our program is reducing and recycling our pipette tip racks. These racks are made of clear, colourless polypropylene, tip trays are coloured. Trays are removed from the boxes and collected separately. Resulting income will be given to our local waste collection campaigns.
- Reusing: Customers can apply for recollected racks, - these are provided free of charge. Customers are supplied “first come, first served” - while stock lasts.
Recollection
Our logistics partner has been delivering Greiner-products for decades, so we can reach all of our customers directly. Recollection is planned the simple way: collected racks are picked up and returned with regular delivery.
How to participate?
1. Only Greiner racks are to be returned.
2. Racks of other manufacturers or other plastic waste will be rejected.
3. For our colleagues’ health-and safety, autoclaved, clean and dry racks, free of any visible dirt (e.g. test material residue, self-adhesive label) are required
4. As pipette tips may come into contact with hazardous materials during use, please collect only empty racks, without pipette tips
5. Please collect racks in strong, form-fitting packaging (preferably in a cardboard box), racks in foil bags won’t be taken over.
6. Place redundant racks at a point where they can be found easily by our suppliers when unloading daily shipment. Please indicate on the packaging: “X-Greiner rack return”, and the name/address of sender institution.
7. A collecting box should contain as many racks as possible.
We believe that the use of plastics and sustainability are compatible concepts. Our aim is to draw attention to the correct use of plastics and minimizing the environmental impact of our products. Together, with responsible waste management we can reduce pollution, and take another step towards a sustainable, circular business, a future worth living.
