Filter tips: Why pay more for the same performance?

See: https://wiki.unil.ch/fbm-cig/books/monthly-tips-in-cig-newsletter/page/2-filter-tips

TIP OF THE MONTH (JUNE 2026) – SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE

Already used by two CIG groups for sensitive applications, Nerbe Plus filter tips offer reliable performance – at a lower price with less plastic packaging.

Filter tips are used in applications that cannot compromise on performance or reliability: qPCR, low-volume pipetting, sensitive samples, precious reagents. But when research budgets are under pressure, performance is not the only criterion. If two tips perform reliably, why pay more?

Two CIG groups use Nerbe Plus filter tips for sensitive applications, including qPCR. These tips cost only 35–68% of the price of alternatives commonly used at CIG: €3.83 vs €5.61-€11.00 per box. For every 100 boxes, this saves €180-€720.

The bonus: packaging. Nerbe Plus filter tips are supplied in cardboard boxes instead of the usual plastic boxes. Some suppliers collect used plastic tip boxes, but do not disclose how much is actually recycled. Cardboard packaging therefore reduces plastic at the source, without changing the way the tips are used.

What to do

Try them in your own workflow. Get testing boxes from Sustainability Committee members : Laure Allenbach Petrolati (Fankhauser lab) or Maria Cristina Gambetta.
Test them on representative applications. Low-volume pipetting, qPCR or other workflows where tip performance matters.
Keep your standards. Switch only if they pass your performance test.

Same standards. Lower cost. Less plastic.

SEE ALL MONTHLY TIPS HERE: https://wiki.unil.ch/fbm-cig/books/monthly-tips-in-cig-newsletter