by Beau Wangtrakuldee, PhD, Co-Founder and CEO, AmorSui
Disposable personal protective equipment (PPE) has been around since the 1930s. While disposable PPE has made a huge difference in limiting the spread of infection and generally protecting over 800 million workers across a number of fields, a hidden environmental problem lies within.
PPE waste is becoming an increasingly growing issue, made even more apparent following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Scale of the Problem
At the height of the pandemic, it was estimated that states spent over $7 billion on disposable PPE and other high-demand medical devices in just a few months. With the increased need for PPE, came increased waste. A 2021 study found that more than eight million tons of pandemic-related plastic waste was generated globally, with more than 25,000 tons entering the ocean. Waste accrued as PPE went unused and expirations approached. This problem is particularly acute in the U.S., where even recently, states were throwing out more than 18 million masks, 22 million gowns, and over 500,000 gloves.
While it’s easy to quantify the PPE waste associated with the pandemic, it’s important we don’t overlook the PPE used every day in laboratories worldwide. Disposable gloves, masks, isolation gowns, and lab coats are staples of the lab that usually find their way into the landfill. Most PPE is comprised of plastics that can take up to 400 years to decompose. At the current rate, PPE is quickly filling landfills and its microplastics and forever toxic chemicals, such as PFAS, are finding ways into rivers, oceans, and incinerators, which pollute air and water sources.
The Traditional Path for PPE
The typical creation and destruction of disposable PPE is driven by a one-time use linear path that create trails of waste and toxic chemicals across the process:
- First, manufacturers extract raw materials. This step involves mining petroleum (for polyester) or manufacturing and extracting ethylene (for polyethylene). Next, manufacturers process materials into a form that can be used to construct specific types of PPE.
- From there, the PPE is manufactured, packaged, and transported to its final destination, usually a warehouse or retail establishment.
- Lab personnel or hospital staff wear the PPE and then dispose of it after one use, often using dozens of pieces per task. The accumulation of significant waste eventually enters a landfill system. In the US alone, it’s estimated that over 22B disposable gowns are used every year, creating over four trillion tons of medical waste in the landfill.
At all these points, energy is used, greenhouse gasses are emitted, and limited resources are extracted from the Earth - all at an environmental cost. A truly sustainable solution involves reducing waste and environmental pollutants at all levels.
Without Intervention, the Pattern Will Continue
The problems surrounding laboratory and medical PPE are getting worse and worse. Without intervention, these challenges will continue. These environmental issues do not exist in isolation: The continued degradation of our environment has a direct and negative impact on human life, making chronic illnesses worse, causing more physical damage, and shortening lives.
Additionally, the scope of our litter problem—and our inability to manage it—is exposing new populations to additional diseases and germs. This reality creates further health risks and exacerbates health vulnerabilities, including food insecurity, limited access to clean drinking water, and quality sanitation.
The PPE waste problem is circular. Fortunately, so is the solution. If you can break one element in the PPE waste chain, you can impact the scope of the problem.
Addressing the Problem
Both labs and the national government have essential roles in implementing circular PPE items that prioritize the health of personnel and our planet.
From the lab's perspective, its leadership can minimize PPE waste by following the three Rs method of waste management – Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.
First, labs must reevaluate their PPE strategy to reduce the required use of disposable PPE. They should also consider questions such as: Is PPE being used properly? Is there a procedure in which the unnecessary use of PPE can be excluded? Are there duplicative steps where only one unit of PPE can be used before sanitization is needed rather than many?
Second, labs should follow sustainable procurement practices and procedures to prioritize reusable PPE over disposable ones. Studies have shown that reusable PPE is superior to disposables in performance, cost, and sustainability. While disposable PPE manufacturers are the majority, some companies offer more durable reusable products, such as lab coats, isolation gowns, and more that will not only result in the reduction of labs’ carbon emissions by up to 50%, but also can be made without releasing carcinogens, reproductive toxins, and other hazardous materials such as PFAs, and more.
Lastly, labs should also commit to recycling. While setting up effective programs is often a challenge, innovative companies now offer full-service PPE rental programs that include premium products, professional laundering, and curated recycling to make it easier for labs.
From a global perspective, national governments must enact more laws and stronger regulations in this arena. The Health Sector Climate Pledge is one example of how the U.S. government is looking to organizations to commit to more sustainable business practices. However, there’s still more work to be done.
How We Move Forward
We won't solve our PPE waste problem overnight. It requires collaboration from governments to introduce regulations, manufacturers to create lab-sustainable PPE options, businesses to implement these options, and individuals to demand action to reduce waste. These solutions require a creative, multi-faceted approach and are oriented towards building long-term solutions.
Sustainability should be a core consideration in labs worldwide. What you use and what you buy matters. The focus on sustainability starts with personnel safety through sustainable and better PPE.
About the author: Beau Wangtrakuldee, Ph.D., is a multifaceted innovator who has taken a technical approach to drive global impact in health and safety radically. As the co-founder and CEO of AmorSui, the first global protective wear brand for circular personal protective equipment items and subscriptions, she is on a mission to protect the health of people and the planet. Beau led AmorSui to serve over 30,000 global customers and leading R&D institutions such as Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Dupont, and Amgen.