Autoclaves & Sterilizers

Autoclaves are used to sterilize equipment, reagents, and hazardous waste in laboratories.   Most labs are equipped with large autoclaves, which are often over-sized for the needs of the lab (or the building).

Autoclaves and sterilizers are a necessity in the lab, but there are some smart and not-so-smart ways of using them.  For example:

• Consolidate loads.  Don't run an autoclave to sterilize a single box of pipette tips.
• Right-size your autoclave.  If you don't need a large autoclave, use a smaller one instead.
• Consider energy- and water-efficiency when purchasing autoclaves. 
• Install water-saving devices on existing autoclaves whenever possible.​​
• Be sure you have the right kind of autoclave for the number of cycles you run - if it's fewer than 5 per day, a non-jacketed autoclave is most appropriate.

Back in 2019, a webinar was made with Allison Hunter, Technical Operations Manager with the Department of Life Sciences at Imperial College London about autoclaves and sustainability, and some of the work she and her colleague James Mansfield did to replace autoclaves at their institution. You can view the webinar below.