Key ingredients and recycling strategy of personal protective equipment (PPE): Towards sustainable solution for the COVID-19 like pandemics

Samarjeet Singh Siwal; Gauri Chaudhary; Adesh Kumar Saini; Harjot Kaur; Vipin Saini; Sudesh Kumar Mokhta; Ramesh Chand; U K Chandel; Graham Christie; Vijay Kumar Thakur

doi:10.1016/j.jece.2021.106284

Key ingredients and recycling strategy of personal protective equipment (PPE): Towards sustainable solution for the COVID-19 like pandemics

J Environ Chem Eng. 2021 Oct;9(5):106284. doi: 10.1016/j.jece.2021.106284. Epub 2021 Aug 30.

Authors

Samarjeet Singh Siwal¹, Gauri Chaudhary¹, Adesh Kumar Saini², Harjot Kaur¹, Vipin Saini³, Sudesh Kumar Mokhta⁴, Ramesh Chand⁵, U K Chandel⁶, Graham Christie⁷, Vijay Kumar Thakur^{8

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Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemistry, M.M. Engineering College, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana, Ambala, Haryana 133207, India.
² Department of Biotechnology, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana, Ambala, Haryana 133207, India.
³ Department of Pharmacy, Maharishi Markandeshwar University, Kumarhatti, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, 173229, India.
⁴ Department of Environment, Science & Technology, Government of Himachal Pradesh, 171001, India.
⁵ Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Himachal Pradesh, 171001, India.
⁶ Department of surgery, Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC), Shimla, Himachal Pradesh 171001, India.
⁷ Institute of Biotechnology, Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QT, UK.
⁸ Biorefining and Advanced Materials Research Center, SRUC, Kings Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK.
⁹ Enhanced Composites and Structures Center, School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing, Cranfield University, Bedfordshire MK43 0AL, UK.
¹⁰ Faculty of Materials Science and Applied Chemistry Institute of Polymer Materials, Riga Technical University, P.Valdena 3/7, LV, 1048 Riga, Latvia.
¹¹ Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, Shiv Nadar University, Uttar Pradesh 201314, India.
¹² School of Engineering, University of Petroleum & Energy Studies (UPES), Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the complications of plastic trash management and disposal. The current situation of living in fear of transmission of the COVID-19 virus has further transformed our behavioural models, such as regularly using personal protective equipment (PPE) kits and single-use applications for day to day needs etc. It has been estimated that with the passage of the coronavirus epidemic every month, there is expected use of 200 billion pieces of single-use facemasks and gloves. PPE are well established now as life-saving items for medicinal specialists to stay safe through the COVID-19 pandemic. Different processes such as glycolysis, hydrogenation, aminolysis, hydrolysis, pyrolysis, and gasification are now working on finding advanced technologies to transfer waste PPE into value-added products. Here, in this article, we have discussed the recycling strategies of PPE, important components (such as medical gloves, gowns, masks & respirators and other face and eye protection) and the raw materials used in PPE kits. Further, the value addition methods to recycling the PPE kits, chemical & apparatus used in recycling and recycling components into value-added products. Finally, the biorenewable materials in PPE for textiles components have been discussed along with concluded remarks.

Keywords: Pandemic; Personal protective equipment; Recycling; Sustainable; Value-added product.

Publication types

Review