Impact of PPE On the environment

[Justpassingtime1]

Seeing how masks are just chucked away on the street and used PPE
in health places often just goes in clinical waste I was wondering why
more was not being done.
Surely this is going to create an additional problem to the crisis
we already face with climate change?

It's the perpetual nature of dealing with the crisis in front of us instead of thinking about the very real, but very far away climate emergency. It's not far away of course but it's easier to deal with what's in front of you than something that requires huge societal changes. COVID whilst devastating is a drop in the ocean compared to the health implications of climate change impacts but here we are producing more plastic than ever

I know:-( i think this everytime i take one of swab tests at work. So much plastic.

Mad isn’t it. Not that long ago we were being told off for using a plastic straw, now the amount of PPE I go through is frightening.

The one that upsets me most is the plastic aprons. One per patient for L2 PPE. As a dentist I go through loads in a day.

Same as the effect of all the other litter scattered on the street.

I can't get worked up by it tbh. I litter pick almost every day and I still mainly pick up plastic bottles, sweet wrapper and cans.

We have an asymptomatic testing centre at work. There are guidelines from NHS & DfE about PPE and disposal.

Each test creates the following waste:
Swab
Swab wrapper
Wipe for swabbing area
Extraction tube
Backing for barcode stickers
Test cartridge
Test cartridge wrapper
Wipe for processing equipment
1 pair gloves

Each worker disposes of the following waste at the end of each session:
Plastic apron
Face mask
Plastic visor (comes in a plastic wrapper, with plastic film covering front and back)

Some of this is clinical waste and will be incinerated but the rest is offensive waste and will end up in landfill in a licensed facility.

This worries me too. just walking around now instead of stray carrier bags, it's blue plastic gloves and face masks strewn around. The amount of PPE being used in hospitals, test and vaccine centres, care homes is mind-boggling. It is essential but goes against the all the work of reducing rubbish.

@Alfaix

The one that upsets me most is the plastic aprons. One per patient for L2 PPE. As a dentist I go through loads in a day.

Me too as a HCA. One everytime we do personal care, plus new gloves everytime :-(

While we're talking about climate change, do any of you order takeaways? I was waiting near a couple of restaurants offering takeaway last week and Deliveroo/Uber Eats mopeds were pulling up, collecting an order for one home, then off again on their petrol/diesel bikes. As I walked home the traffic was predominantly moped food couriers. (Zone 2 London). Takeaways are popular with young people and lots of MNers, yet you're basically using fuel and 3rd party resources to bring you one meal. How do people square that with an environmental conscience?

diana no, we never get takeaways. I do occasionally have to report their drivers to the police for riding on pavements around here though. Hate the things.

Yup @ OP about the PPE.

Takeaways: our main take-away sin is chips. this comes in a cardboard tray wrapped in white paper maybe with wooden chip forks. I can and do burn (for household heat) or compost all of that packaging. Ditto pizza boxes. We sometimes have takeaways in plastic containers -- I reuse these to store stuff, like home-made soup or to take soft fruit to office (when I was allowed to do that). Also double as DC's lunchboxes (when they were allowed to go to school). Eventually the break down. Was useful when DC went on trips & were expected to take all disposable containers, they were allowed to throw them away then.

I can't square what other people do about takeaways food packaging, just explaining how I think it's not always 100% wasteful impact for us.

SO pleased you’ve said this, I thought it was just me! People talking about mass testing as a way out of this and all I think is that our descendants won’t thank us for that...

We are guilty of a weekly takeaway and yes the packaging does make me stop and think. A meal for 4 from Prezzo contained 2 bags of packaging that made me think the packaging alone must have cost £2 or £3. It was all paper/cardboard and went in the recycling but still I felt some guilt.

For me, the rise in ordering takeaways by personal courier (using fossil fuel) is strange, considering the awareness of environmental issues among our younger generation share. It has become mainstream to employ someone to pickup one meal by motorbike instead of walking there.
It's packaging plus carbon fuel emissions.

At least PPE serves an important purpose, but takeaways with bike delivery are hardly an essential.

Yup. Covid is a picnic compared to climate change/pollution

Yes, it’s a big concern that rarely gets voiced because Covid is everything. It’s why I’m very reluctant to move to disposable masks that are being mandated elsewhere.

What's the alternative though? PPE must be worn and testing is necessary

@InglouriousBasterd

Yes, it’s a big concern that rarely gets voiced because Covid is everything. It’s why I’m very reluctant to move to disposable masks that are being mandated elsewhere.

I feel the same, especially in low risk settings e.g. I am required to wear a face covering when dropping children to and from school even though it's outside. I really hope there isn't a move towards FFP2 / surgical masks as in other countries.

@trulydelicious

What's the alternative though? PPE must be worn and testing is necessary

I don’t think any of us are saying we shouldn’t test or that medics shouldn’t have PPE. However people who can wear a reusable mask should, testing should stop when possible - some people are talking about needing to take a lateral flow test to get into a restaurant or football match indefinitely.

@InglouriousBasterd

Yes, it’s a big concern that rarely gets voiced because Covid is everything. It’s why I’m very reluctant to move to disposable masks that are being mandated elsewhere.

Yes I was surprised that Germany has mandated this as they are usually way ahead of us on environmental issues.

I am happy to wear a cloth mask but I will be very reluctant indeed to wear disposable ones for a quick trip into a supermarket.

I am happy to wear a cloth mask but I will be very reluctant indeed to wear disposable ones for a quick trip into a supermarket.

I don't like the current advice about double-masking in the community (surgical + cloth). I'd rather there were some decent advice about reusable N95 or KN95 and replaceable filters.

There is a certain irony to this, as the government (and Mumsnet) were previously pontificating that we must use less disposable plastic, before they moved on to pontificating about masks.

Car use has increased significantly in London despite having a functioning and safe public transport system (I use it daily as we are car free). I think many people who have used public transport in the past will continue to use cars now they've got used to the convenience and not having to mix with others while travelling. In the long run I expect that behavioural changes like this will have a greater impact on deaths in the future than Covid has.

Generally on the streets I don't see that much mask litter, and around me the majority are wearing reusables (I expect they don't want to keep paying for disposables). Lots more takeaway rubbish too as people can't sit inside to drink coffee etc. We're in inner London, with road sweepers and street cleaning crews daily, so there isn't much long term impact, just a short-term eyesore. Air pollution is more damaging, but it gets ignored as you can't see it.

Car use has increased significantly in London despite having a functioning and safe public transport system (I use it daily as we are car free). I think many people who have used public transport in the past will continue to use cars now they've got used to the convenience and not having to mix with others while travelling. In the long run I expect that behavioural changes like this will have a greater impact on deaths in the future than Covid has.

My school's risk assessment states staff should walk, cycle or use private car to travel avoiding car sharing and public transport where possible. I don't know how common this is in other schools. We're in a London borough.