Introduction

When COVID-19 or Coronavirus hit the world in 2019, a huge volume of PPE Kits, Testing Kits, Masks and other equipment were brought into the market to cope with the demand during the pandemic. Due to the high demand, production was carried out on large scales and now many PPE Kits, Masks and other equipment have reached their use by date making them unusable. Moreover, the Kits and Maks that were used are polluting the environment as these Kits contain single-use items which are non-recyclable. In this article, we will learn everything about the recycling of PPE Kits and guidelines issued by various organisations along with recycling options.

Understanding PPE Kits

PPE stands for “Personal Protection Equipment”, these Kits are a combination of various protective equipment such as gloves, face masks, shoe covers and coveralls. These Kits were responsible for saving many lives during the pandemic and prevented the spreading of diseases. These Kits are used by frontline workers involved directly or indirectly in the medical field.

PPE Kits are made up of polypropylene, which is a one-time use material and is also non-biodegradable just like plastic. Therefore they can not be left to decompose on their own. Moreover, these kits are designed to be used only once, so they can’t even be reused.

What’s the Problem?

As discussed above PPE Kits aren’t biodegradable nor can they be resided, so the only option left is to recycle them. PPE disposal practices are well-laid and proper guidelines are put in place by international and national organisations such as WHO (World Health Organisation) and NCDC (National Centre For Disease Control).

However, these guidelines and practices are not strictly followed. The hazardous impact of PPE Kits on the environment is often ignored. There isn’t enough promotion and preaching about the proper disposal and recycling of PPE Kits.

Recycling Options

Now that we have understood everything about PPE Kits and their harmful impact on the environment, let’s discuss the available ways and options to recycle PPE Kits.

Conventional Method: There are various ways through which PPE Kits are treated which are as follows:
- Gasification
- Hydrolysis
- Amylolysis
- Glycolysis
- Pyrolysis

The most popular treatment method is Pyrolysis, in which thermal power is used to convert the long polymer chains into simpler structures to make biofuel or liquid oil. In this process, there is no requirement to sort various components of PPE Kits instead they can be treated together. It is the safest and fastest method to recycle the PPE Kits.

Innovative Method: Alternatively, PPE Kits can also be used to pave roads and make bricks, Recently many social entrepreneurs have found a way to recycle PPE Kits by making bricks out of them. These bricks are called eco-bricks, which are made by mixing waste paper, shredded PPE Kit and binder. Such bricks are not only cost-effective but are also lighter and more durable.
Sterilization: As discussed earlier, PPE Kits are made for one-time use only. However, a new method to reuse the PPE Kits has been developed. It is done by sterilizing the used PPE Kits. It is done by using a different type of microwave specially developed for this purpose which removes all the infections, viruses, or anything else present in used PPE Kits. Through this sterilization method, PPE Kits can be reused, thus significantly reducing the burden of recycling then.

Conclusion

As of now, there are no alternatives to PPE Kits, this life-saving equipment can quickly turn into an environmental disaster, therefore we should ensure their proper disposal and recycling. Options such as turning PPE Kits into eco-friendly bricks and processing them to make biofuel should be promoted and preached effectively. PPE Kits are just like plastics, so we should take every step possible to find their alternative and until then their proper disposal and recycling should be done.

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Life-Saving PPE Kits Turned Into Environmental Hazard

Shabana A

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