Scientific instrument manufacturer Scilutions has released 100% biodegradable and recyclable automation racks made from paper pulp. The Pulp Fixin AutoRacks were developed with Zenpack, the San Jose-based packaging design and manufacturing company.
The lab equipment industry relies on various single-use plastics, including the plastic trays designed to hold specimen tubes. These trays must adhere to specific heat and chemical requirements as well as compatibility requirements according to different mixing and capping machines. Starting in 2022, Scilutions saw an opportunity to reduce waste in the laboratory with an alternative to plastic.
Scilutions enlisted Zenpack for their experience with molded paper pulp packaging. "When Scilutions showed us a traditional plastic rack, we immediately knew we could produce it with paper," says Leo Chao, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Zenpack.
Throughout the two-year development process, Scilutions and Zenpack combined knowledge and experience from their respective industries to develop a rack that is both effective, universal, and sustainable. The resulting racks—which come in 96, 48, and 24 tube capacity—are compatible with 2D barcode scanners and come with pre-printed barcodes on two sides.
"The Scilutions team was concerned about cold storage," says Chao, "so we double reinforced the side walls for long term freezer storage. Paper materials perform remarkably well in low temperatures.
Source: prnewswire.com