Neste, Eppendorf partner to develop renewable lab plastics

Neste Oyj, a Finland-based oil refining and marketing company, has partnered with Hamburg, Germany-based, Eppendorf, a manufacturer and supplier of laboratory equipment, to create a new line of renewable plastic lab consumables, Eppendorf Consumables BioBased.

The consumables—or tubes—are manufactured using Neste RE, a feedstock produced from 100 percent-renewable raw materials such as used cooking oil. The companies claim the consumables represent a sustainable choice for labs seeking to reduce their carbon footprint by replacing fossil crude oil in the value chain, and the launch of the first products in the new line will contribute to the life science industry’s transition toward a more sustainable future.

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According to the companies, Eppendorf’s bio-based products perform exactly as their fossil oil-based plastic consumables, meeting the rigorous specifications required for scientific experiments. The portfolio comprises Eppendorf Tubes with screw caps, plus epT.I.P.S. BioBased filter pipette tips, made of certified polypropylene (PP) based on renewable raw materials.

Neste’s renewable Neste RE feedstock is used to produce the tubes, while the screw caps and pipette tips are made in cooperation with other suppliers. Neste says a mass balancing approach is applied to allocate the renewable content to the products.

Following the launch of the first range of Eppendorf Consumables BioBased, the partners aim to continue driving the adoption of more sustainable materials in the laboratory and specific research sectors. With Eppendorf’s extensive scientific consumables manufacturing experience and Neste’s expertise in renewable products, the companies say the initiative is well placed to address sustainability pressure points throughout the entire value chain—from the renewable raw materials to the manufacturing of the final product. In addition to renewables, the partners also will evaluate options to leverage chemical recycling to both recycle Eppendorf’s lab consumables and enable recycled content in the consumables’ production.

“We are thrilled to be joining forces with Neste to bring renewable plastics into the lab,” says Brigitte Klose, global marketing manager for consumables at Eppendorf. “At Eppendorf, we are committed to supporting our customers in their efforts to become more sustainable, and by combining our expertise with Neste’s, we have been able to deliver high-performance sustainable plastic consumables that can help the scientific community to reduce its carbon footprint.

“This collaboration with Neste is another substantial step forward in our strive towards sustainability,” she adds, “and we look forward to continuing pioneering together in the development of renewable alternatives.”

By using renewable materials in their lab plastics, the companies say labs and corporations can reduce their climate impact and take steps toward a more sustainable future. In continuing to research and develop more sustainable lab plastic alternatives, Eppendorf and Neste aim to provide scientists with practical solutions to improve sustainability and contribute to the defossilization of the life science industry.

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“Laboratory applications come with high quality requirements for the materials used,” says Maria Carcole, head of brand owner management at Neste Renewable Polymers and Chemicals. “The cooperation with Eppendorf shows that despite these requirements, a transition to more sustainable materials is already possible. It just takes will and cooperation to get there.”