It all started one day with a lab clean out. Natalie Griffiths-Stubbs, a senior research technician at University of Bristol Biomedical Sciences came across a drawer full of unused, broken micropipettes. What a waste it would be to throw them away. The problem was that professionally re-furbishing these would be costly. Would it be possible to organize a system to turn these broken pipettes into an ecofriendly, cost-effective resource for scientists?
Luckily for the Labconscious community, University of Bristol Green Labs had a terrific technical staff willing to create a cost neutral Pipette Repair Shop program and shared with us how it can be done!
1. Does your lab have a stash of broken micropipettes?
Almost all of us have seen a micropipette graveyard drawer in a lab. Even with best intentions, loading a gel is not the time to be fixing a broken pipette. Especially when another functioning pipette is already handy. The good news is that the larger the collection, the easier it will be to establish a repair program at your research institution.
2. Team up with your university sustainability office on funding to start refurbishing that collection for reuse in science.
Don’t hesitate to work with your sustainability or EHS office to pilot a micropipette repair program. The start-up cost of professional refurbishing is a hurdle - but the payoff is great. University sustainability offices are eager to hear from scientists who want to make lab work more sustainable. These professionals can help you understand what services are available to your facility and what opportunities may be available for program funding.
3. Request a free assessment of your collection with your pipette calibration and repair service provider.
Free assessment by the service helps overcomes the initial funding hurdle for the refurbishing program. The University of Bristol uses Gilson Service on-site which accepts any brand of micropipette for repair or calibration. Good servicing means that pipettes can last for years. Gilson shared with Labconscious that there are still Gilsons in use out there that are 40 years old! Pipettes that are traded in are used for spare parts if appropriate - so as few pieces are thrown away as possible. Anything replaced is recycled wherever possible. Pre- COVID Gilson often donated refurbished pipettes to schools for STEM learning and hopes to be able to get back to that. Decontamination is important. Gilson also shares decontamination procedures for end-users.
4.Set up a convenient Pipette Repair Shop drop box in your facility
Convenience is important for a successful repair program. An easy-to-find dropbox with clear (and inspiring) signage will attract more micropipettes. With an onsite service clinic, all the pipettes can be worked on without the back and forth to the pipette service center. The service company can often collect the micropipettes from the box. Alternatively, the service can also pick up from a designated lab member.
5. Offer the professionally refurbished micropipettes for much less than new.
The most exciting outcome from an in house repair program is the savings for research laboratories. The goal of a repair program isn’t to make money. It’s about conserving resources and aligning with circular economy principles. Scientists will be able to purchase professionally repaired and calibrated pipettes as reliable as new, but at very reduced prices. Be open to swaps with broken micropipettes for further discounts.
6. Get the word out with every new lab set up, every lab move, every calibration, by email blast and with signage!
Explain clearly to scientists that a professional service company is doing the repairs. Share how unrepairable micropipettes are recycled. Make plain that swaps will count toward already refurbished pipettes, which are already at much cheaper prices than new.
Thank you for protecting our earth and conserving scientific resources!
