QIAGEN N.V. announced its new QIAwave product line by launching three nucleic acid extraction kits that use fewer components and produce less waste than existing ones. They are the first of their type to use both recycled plastics and space-saving chemical concentrates. The QIAwave RNA Mini Kit, QIAwave DNA Blood & Tissue Kit and QIAwave Plasmid Miniprep Kit use up to 63% less plastic and up to 42% less cardboard than QIAGEN's most popular kits for extracting DNA, RNA and plasmid DNA from samples.

That makes them a more sustainable alternative to existing products – a major step in reducing the environmental impact of QIAGEN's overall portfolio. The new QIAwave products feature fewer components, waste tubes made from 100% recycled plastic, and suitable buffer concentrates in smaller bottles, rather than ready-to-go mixes. More compact kits and new ways of packing them reduce the amount of cardboard needed to box them up.

Instructions for re-using some components are available online. QIAGEN aims to reduce plastic transportation packaging waste by a further 9% in 2022, having cut it by 9.6% in 2021. The company has striven to reduce its plastic footprint since the formation of its Plastic Footprint Task Force in 2018 – for example, by replacing expanded-polystyrene boxes for cooled shipments with recyclable alternatives and other forms of plastic packaging with more eco-friendly alternatives.