Did you know that an estimated 60% of all lab equipment owned by UK universities stands idle or under-used?
And that this represents hundreds of millions of pounds of unused stock, including high-ticket items, simply gathering dust?
There are very many reasons why this happens, from the equipment having come to the end of its operational life, or a project which required the specific machinery having long been concluded.
It’s a common state of affairs and, as universities and organisations seek to make efficiency savings and achieve sustainability targets, we are fielding an increasing number of inquiries from research institutions looking to take unwanted lab equipment off their hands.
This includes chromatography equipment, including Liquid (LC), Gas (GC), and Mass Spectrometry (MS) systems, which are one of the most frequently resold high-value asset categories because they are uniquely susceptible to obsolescence.
Rapid evolution in technology can often render older models less efficient for grant-funded research and so, rather than letting the equipment depreciate to zero value – taking up space and consuming energy – we can buy it from you.
We refurbish the equipment to the original manufacturer performance standards ready for a second life with a new owner, ensuring we support the circular economy and get the maximum efficiency from the resources.
But how does our purchasing process work? And how can you rest assured you are selling your equipment to a reputable operator?
We’re glad you asked! Because we operate a clear, three-step process that is straightforward, transparent and hassle-free.
It starts with your initial inquiry and quotation. Simply get in touch with us and send us the required information, namely the make and model, the condition – such as working, non-working or requires repair – and, ideally, accompanied by a picture.
We accept a wide range of equipment – namely:
We’ll also ask if you are looking for a straight cash purchase or maybe a trade-in against a refurbished system.
We’ll then use this information to determine the market value and the potential for refurbishment for your equipment and then will make a non-binding offer or quote – at which point it’s over to you!
Once we have reached an initial agreement and arranged payment terms, the next step is to review the instrument in more detail.
We ask that your equipment is decontaminated first, meaning it has been purged of any solvents or buffers. After this, the LC Services team will assess the system and its overall condition.
Based on this review, our team will decide the most suitable next step for collection or delivery. In some cases, particularly for desirable or high-quality systems, we may offer free collection or delivery. In other situations, shipping arrangements will be agreed based on the condition and value of the equipment.
Once the logistics are agreed, the system will be transported to our facility where our engineers assess, repair and rigorously test the components before refurbishment and resale.
We’re proud to offer this service because we think it’s the right thing to do.
Not only do we extend the equipment’s lifespan, we are supporting the circular economy, and this will help your organisation to meet your own sustainability goals and fulfil the Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF) and the UKRI Concordat.
Both of these require organisations to demonstrate robust resource management, extend the life of carbon-intensive instruments and reduce your carbon footprint.
By selling your chromatography to us, you’re helping to save the planet – and generating income to put towards a future equipment purchase.
If you have equipment you’d like to trade in with us, you can get in contact with us via our Sell to us page.
