IPEK is proud to announce that our sustainability initiative, launched one year ago, has reached a great milestone! We have just filled our 3rd collection bag, which is now ready to be sent for recycling! A special thanks to Martina Geiger from the Steffens lab, whose commitment plays a key role in making this initiative a success!

With an estimated 100 bottles per bag, our efforts over the past year have successfully saved 300 PET bottles from standard waste to date.

This effort is part of PAN-Biotech’s Sustainability Program, which enables research laboratories to collect sterile cell culture bottles separately ("sortenrein"). A major challenge in traditional plastic recycling is that various types of plastics are mixed together in general waste and must be separated to achieve high-quality recycling. By collecting uniform PET bottles directly at the source, PAN-Biotech makes high-grade recycling possible.

📋 How It Works

1. Rinse your empty PET bottle with tap water.

2. Separate the lid from the bottle to allow it to dry thoroughly on our collection box.

3. Throw the dry bottle into the collection box.

♻️ What Can Be Recycled?

• Accepted Plastics: All PET bottles marked with the 01 Recycling Symbol (PET/PETE), including cell culture media bottles from any brand.

• Safety Requirement: Bottles must be completely free of contamination (viruses, bacteria, etc.).

Note: Media bottles are generally considered clean when following good cell culture practices. If contamination is suspected, autoclaving is a mandatory safety step prior to disposal in any waste stream.

We are excited to continue reducing our environmental footprint together and contributing to a circular laboratory ecosystem!