WHITE PAPER No. 087

More Than Just Spinning:
ACT Sustainability Label for
Eppendorf Benchtop Centrifuges
Nicole Seeligmüller, Jan-Hendrik Bebermeier
Eppendorf SE, Barkhausenweg 1, 22339 Hamburg

Executive Summary
Eppendorf is committed to accountability, consistency
and transparency – the three tenets of the ACT® label –to reduce its environmental impact and provide its customers with high-quality, sustainable products. In addition to the various products Eppendorf offers, including
ULT freezers, consumables, and pipettes, two Eppendorf
benchtop centrifuges are certified with the ACT label.
This label scores a product’s total environmental impact
with respect to multiple sustainability factors, such as
manufacturing, packaging, energy consumption, andrecyclability. Eppendorf Centrifuge 5910 Ri and Centrifuge
5427 R are the first Eppendorf centrifuges to receive the
ACT label, which is issued by My Green Lab®.
Centrifuge 5910 Ri

Introduction
The nonprofit organization My Green Lab aims to continuously and permanently improve sustainability in researchlaboratories by developing standards that foster greener labs
and lab products. Originally a local organization foundedin 2013 by Allison Paradise, a neuroscientist turned environmental activist, My Green Lab has rapidly grown into
an international agent for change around the world. The
nonprofit describes itself as “run for scientists, by scientists”
and has joined the broader laboratory community, comprising vendors, designers, energy providers and others, to help
lead the way toward creating a world in which all research
projects reflect the highest standards of social and environmental responsibility. One of the major challenges My GreenLab faces with respect to adoption of its improved standards
is persuading the scientific community to make the many

behavioral changes necessary for achieving sustainability
in research labs. Implementation of My Green Lab standards
is overseen by outside third parties.

For more information, please visit www.mygreenlab.org.

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Both worlds: Industry and academia
Organizations around the world are increasingly recognizing
sustainability in the laboratory as an important topic.
Large, global pharmaceutical companies, for example,
have established sustainability programs to analyze theirinternal processes with the aim to make changes to boost
efficiency as well as to weigh the influence of their behavior
and processes on sustainability. The goal of many of these
programs is to benefit society and the environment whileat the same time positively impact the profitability of thebusiness.
My Green Lab offers a broad range of programs to helporganizations improve their environmental health andresource utilization, including:James Connelly, the CEO of My Green Lab, states:»The focus of My Green Lab’s mission is to build a culture of sustainability through science. We offer a suiteof leading-edge programs to transform the life science
industry through sustainability, including Green Lab
Certification, Lab Product Certification (the ACT label),and student and professional education. Our programs
not only significantly reduce the environmental impactof science, they inspire similar changes in the culture
and private lives of the millions of people who spend
their time working in labs.«

A

B> My Green Lab Certification is the worldwide standard
for laboratory sustainability best practices.
> Green Chemistry mainstreams green chemistry into
curricula, research and manufacturing.
> Freezer Challenge serves as an international competition
aimed at reducing the environmental impact of cold
storage.
> The ACT label resembles a nutrition label and shows how
products “rate” in various sustainability-related categories.
> The Center for Energy Efficient Laboratories (CEEL)
conducts research into energy-efficiency options forlaboratory equipment.
> My Green Lab Ambassador is a free, online program thatprovides an introduction to laboratory sustainability andhow to suggest change within laboratories.
My Green Lab also closely cooperates with I2SL,
the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories:
www.i2sl.org/index.html

Figure 1: A: Sample ACT Environmental Impact Factor Label
B: Sample of an EU Energy Label established by European Union
Directive

WHITE PAPER I No. 087 I Page 3

Reflected in the name: The ACT label scoring system
The ACT label considers accountability, consistency andtransparency when evaluating the manufacturing, energy
consumption, water usage, packaging and end-of-life disposal of products and provides an easy, intuitive way to evaluate
the sustainability of a given product. Products are scoredand validated on the basis of different environmental impact
factors (EIFs). Each product’s EIF is rated on a scale from 1
to 10, with 1 indicating the least environmental impact and
10 the highest. The independent organization Sustainability Made Simple Collaborative (SMSC) scores the product’s
data, which My Green Lab then verifies and publishes.

The ACT label serves, in principle, as a sustainability scoringcard. Reading the ACT label is simple: The lower the score,
the lower the product’s impact on the environment.
The label can be read like a nutrition label or like the European performance card for a washing machine or dishwasher.
The ACT label shows how products “rate” in various sustainability-related categories byassigning a score and uses
a color-coding system that
ranges from green to red toindicate a low or high score.
Figure 2: ACT Environmental Impact Factor logo of My Green Lab®
organization

Eppendorf centrifuges and sustainability
In 2023, the Eppendorf Centrifuge 5910 Ri and Centrifuge
5427 R became the first centrifuges worldwide to receive the
ACT label. More centrifuges in the Eppendorf portfolio areto follow.
Centrifuges perform an essential function in life sciencelaboratories where they are heavily used. This is especiallythe case for bigger multipurpose centrifuges that are shared
among a multitude of different users. Operating them formost of the workday entails a great deal of energy consumption, which is, of course, one important aspect of sustainability. Refrigerated centrifuges are usually cooled for mostof the day, even when not in use, so they are a key piece ofequipment to consider when looking at a laboratory’s energy
consumption.
Energy consumption is, however, just one aspect to consider
when examining the environmental footprint of centrifuges in
the laboratory. The ACT label therefore also reviews a broad
range of sustainability factors to determine the overall environmental impact of laboratory centrifuges. In the following,
we address a variety of these factors, including energy savings, longevity, ergonomics, and cooling liquids.
Energy savings
Centrifugation involves two significant power-consuming
steps: temperature management of the chamber and acceleration of the rotor. Cooling, performed by a compressor
system, is mandatory for many high-value samples. A weakcooling system does save energy, but it may put samples atrisk due to insufficient temperature control and the experiment may have to be repeated.

To reduce power consumption, Eppendorf centrifugesfeature various energy-saving functions, depending on
the centrifuge model:> An eco-shutoff function switches off the continuous cooling function of refrigerated models after a period of inactivity (usually after one, two, four or eight hours), resulting
in lower overall energy consumption (for example, 37%less for Centrifuge 5430 R overnight) and extending thecompressor’s lifetime.
> The standby function switches the centrifuge into sleep
mode (for example, by switching off the display) after adefined period of inactivity.
> Reduced weight: The fixed-angle rotors of our multipurpose centrifuges (50 mL conical rotors and bigger) arehollow to reduce their weight. This makes them easier forusers to handle as well as reduces power consumption
during acceleration as less weight needs to be put inmotion.
> Optimized design: Most swing-buckets in our multipurpose centrifuges are now round instead of rectangular,
which results in lower energy consumption (up to 48%
less energy with rotor A-4-72 versus rotor A-4-62 inCentrifuge 5810 R).

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Longevity and ergonomics
A reliable centrifuge should last for many years. The equipment’s longevity is an essential criterion in calculating thesustainability of laboratory instruments. High-quality parts
and a robust design ensure years of trouble-free use at thebench. However, to ensure the longevity of our centrifuges,
we do not leave it at that: We perform long-term stresstests on various functions such as lid opening and closing
as early as during the R&D phase to ensure the longevity ofthe materials we use in our products. Eppendorf centrifuges
enjoy a wide reputation as long-lasting equipment — some
centrifuges made in the early 60s are still up and running inlaboratories!
Ergonomics are also an important part of sustainability: Intuitive handling, low noise levels, low loading heights and lightrotors all contribute to excellent ergonomics in a sustainable
centrifuge that users can effortlessly operate for many years
into the future.
Cooling liquids
Refrigerated and cooled centrifuges use compressors andcooling liquids to maintain the required temperature in
their rotors and the samples being centrifuged. To counteract global warming, the European Union F-gas regulation(EU_517/2014) calls for hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a groupof cooling liquids that have been in common use, to be
replaced in the stationary and movable cooling systems

R170

H

H

H

C

C

H

H

Because of the high kinetic energy produced by centrifuges
and the strict safety regulations that apply to these instruments because of that, centrifuge producers need to step up
research efforts to more broadly use flammable coolants like
propane and ethane (commonly found in ULT freezers) intheir products. With the new generation of Centrifuge 5427 R,
Eppendorf has created the company’s first centrifuge containing a green cooling liquid: propane. This new modelfeatures all the functionality our customers have come tolove about its predecessor, but is now equipped with a newcompressor and additional safety features to ensure smoothusage while cooling with the use of more environmentallyfriendly propane. Additional Eppendorf centrifuge models
that use similar green coolants will follow.

R290(Ethane)Hof new equipment over the midterm. According to theregulation, existing instruments may continue to be used(and serviced) without any limitations. As a first step towardachieving a green future, Eppendorf has already reduced
the amount of hydrofluorocarbons that we use in our centrifuges wherever possible (for example, a 30% reduction inCentrifuge 5430 R).
All major centrifuge suppliers, including Eppendorf, havedevoted R&D capacities to develop products that use green,
future-proof cooling liquids like propane and ethane.

H

H

H

H

C

C

C

H

H

H

(Propane)

H

Figure 3: Hydrocarbon based cooling liquids (“green refrigerants”)
R170 and R290

Figure 4: Centrifuge 5427 R

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Act label scoring factors
The ACT label evaluates a number of factors to arrive ata score for a given product, ranging from manufacturing
practices through to the environmental impact of shipping a
product. The following provides more detailed information
about each of the scoring factors.
Manufacturing impact reduction considers the activities
and initiatives a company has started in its production facilities in recent years in order to reduce the environmental
impact of its manufacturing processes. This can include retrofitting buildings, updating or adding new heating systems,
adding new production machines, or even providing further
training of staff. This factor also addresses the handling ofwaste.
Renewable energy use examines the type of power supplied
to the manufacturing facility. According to the My Green Lab
team, a “yes” for this scoring factor requires having a dedicated green power contract for company facilities. Like most
Eppendorf production facilities, our centrifuge manufacturing sites based in the United States and Germany are driven
by 100% renewable power from external sources.
This scoring factor also looks at the handling of chemical
reagents during production. A product must comply withEU RoHS/REACH (given for EU-based companies), andcompanies as a whole shall have ISO 14001 certificationor similar documentation. The listed Eppendorf centrifuge
factories have dedicated ISO 14001 certifications, similar to
the Eppendorf SE as mother company. In addition, chemical substances like refrigerants must be free of CMRs, PBTs,
HCFCs, CFCs, and GHS category 1 hazards as well as red-listed chemicals. Eppendorf complies with all of these criteria.
Shipping impact assesses how the product is transported
from the production facility (in this case, located in Germany)to the country where the product is used, for instance, theUnited States. The concept is based on reducing shipment
distances and applies to a broad range of products. In termsof food, for example, preferring local production makes
sense. For specialized products like laboratory equipment,
where only a few facilities worldwide can produce the equipment, this looks different: Shipment, including over long
distances, cannot be avoided as this equipment is needed
globally.

This scoring factor also considers the type of transport usedin shipping as it, too, has an impact: Larger, heavy centrifuges in particular should be shipped by cargo ship only as
this method uses less energy. Transportation by cargo planeis neither environmentally (CO2) nor economically (cost)sustainable.
Product content as a scoring factor focuses on the recyclingof raw materials used in manufacturing and specificallyexamines the proportion of raw materials recycled. Determining the recycling share of metal used in manufacturing
is especially challenging: Steel and copper, for example, aremelted in large vessels to which material from iron or copperore (iron for new steel, copper ore for copper) and recycledsteel or copper are added. It is difficult to ascertain exactly
what percentage of new or recycled material ends up in themetal sheets used to manufacture a particular product. Averages and assumptions are used as the actual amount varies.
As of 2015, more than 50% of the steel produced in Europe
is based on recycled material, and 90% of the steel found in
products was collected at the end of a product’s lifetime.
For copper in Europe, 44% stemmed from recycled sources
and 70% of the copper in products was collected. For aluminum, which is used to produce centrifuge rotors, the following figures apply: Of the approximately 4.3 million metrictons of aluminum found in products in the EU at the end of
their lives, nearly 3.0 million metric tons were collected andrecycled; that is a rate of 69%. In the transportation andconstruction sectors, 90% of the material used had been
recovered in 2018.
For more information please visit:https://eu-recycling.com/Archive/26491
When Eppendorf mills aluminum rotors and bores holes
during production of its centrifuge rotors, it collects all thefragments that result. This swarf constitutes a high-grade
resource for recycling.

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In some countries, the term “waste-free production” isused to describe an environmentally friendly improvementthat moves away from the practice of sending waste to alandfill (waste to dump) toward burning (waste to energy)
and ultimately recycling (waste to raw material). Somemanufacturers are currently making this claim about recent
improvements to their manufacturing practices. Eppendorf
has already been engaging in waste-free production at its
centrifuge manufacturing facilities as a standard practice formany years now.
The scoring factor packaging content considers the carbon
footprint of product packaging and its recyclability. The cardboard used in our centrifuge packaging is made from at least
70% recycled material depending on the specific source ofthe material. This figure is reflected in published data: In theEuropean Union, nearly 100% of fiberboard is recycled. The
German corrugated fiberboard industry consortium statesthat Germany’s corrugated fiberboard contains at least 80%
of recycled fiberboard.
The packaging for a large multipurpose or high-speed centrifuge (109 kg to 260 kg) must be able to properly protect
a large-volume instrument during shipment. Significantly
reducing material poses a big challenge as the device must,of course, safely arrive at its destination without any damage
to the instrument or to the people transporting it. Eppendorf
and other centrifuge suppliers could potentially increase
future environmental savings by using cardboard with higher
ratios of recycled material (as far as packaging stability allows for – due to technical reasons, packaging of very heavy
devices needs app. 30% fresh fiber cardboard to ensurestability), low-density polyethylene (LDPE) with recycling
content for the dustcover film, and biodegradable foam forcushioning.
Water consumption is another factor considered in ACTlabel scoring. No water is consumed when a centrifuge isused. Eppendorf recovers up to 95% of the water involvedin the centrifuge production.

Product lifetime is examined as part of scoring and the
topic is generally much discussed as proving the lifetimeof a product is challenging: A 10-year-old instrument could,
for example, remain boxed for 9.5 years and only be used
for six months, so it would look like new in its 10th year.
In contrast, a workhorse that performed its job for 10 years
might begin showing the first signs of wear at that point.
High-quality centrifuges that receive proper maintenanceand service can operate for 10 years or longer.
Packaging end of life is a scoring factor that pertains topackaging after the product has been shipped. Collecting
and recycling all of the packaging is recommended. Cardboard and wooden pallets are commonly recycled, whereas
dustcovers made of LDPE film and cushion foam are more
specialized materials to recycle. Providing recommendations
and descriptions can support users in improving the recyclingof packaging materials.
Even the highest-quality instruments will eventually reach
their product end of lifetime. Large instruments like centrifuges comprise many different materials that all need to berecycled sustainably. Eppendorf recommends users to checkwith their Eppendorf partners, their local waste disposal
service, or their facility management team to learn about
available recycling options for their organizations. Eppendorf
centrifuges last for many years, but if they need replacement,
all local requirements for disposal of these instruments do,of course, need to be fulfilled. We strongly recommend contacting a certified local recycling partner with experience ininstruments that use active cooling. Keeping it local reduces
the impact of transportation, and turning to a certified partner ensures the cooling liquids are removed and recycledsafely and sustainably and in compliance with local regulations.

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Summary
The ACT certification process requires carrying out an indepth review of a company’s sustainability programs andexamining all the environmental factors related to a given
product. Necessarily lengthy, the process derives many insights and brings to light areas for improvement. Eppendorf
supports My Green Lab’s mission to achieve “accountability,
consistency and transparency” in the life sciences and strives
to reduce the company’s environmental impact. Receiving
ACT label certification for Centrifuge 5910 Ri and Centrifuge
5427 R is a demonstration of Eppendorf’s ongoing commitment to the planet and the people on it.

But there is still more work to be done. Eppendorf knows
what it means to “go green” and is focusing on continuously
developing new features and technologies that reduce theuse of raw materials and energy consumption and minimize
the company’s environmental impact.
None of these challenges can be solved quickly or easily,
and all demand a community approach and consistent effort
to listen to one another and work together. Supporting organizations like My Green Lab is an important step along thisjourney. Focusing on the environment will ultimately provide
a more sustainable future for everyone.

About Eppendorf
Since 1945, the Eppendorf brand has been synonymous with customer-oriented processes and innovative products,
such as laboratory devices and consumables for liquid handling, cell handling and sample handling. Today, Eppendorf
and its approximately 5,000 employees employees serve as experts and advisors, using their unique knowledge andexperience to support laboratories and research institutions around the world. The foundation of the company’s expertiseis its focus on its customers. Eppendorf’s exchange of ideas with its customers results in comprehensive solutions thatin turn become industry standards. Eppendorf will continue on this path in the future, true to the standard set by thecompany’s founders: that of sustainably improving people’s living conditions.

Your local distributor: www.eppendorf.com/contact
Eppendorf SE · 22331 Hamburg · Germany
eppendorf@eppendorf.com · www.eppendorf.com

www.eppendorf.com
ACT® and My Green Lab® are registered trademarks of My Green Lab, United States.
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