{"id":44202,"date":"2024-10-21T21:49:44","date_gmt":"2024-10-21T21:49:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/?p=44202"},"modified":"2024-10-21T21:49:48","modified_gmt":"2024-10-21T21:49:48","slug":"reducing-ppe-environmental-impact","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/uncategorized\/reducing-ppe-environmental-impact","title":{"rendered":"Reducing the Environmental Impact of PPE"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"44202\" class=\"elementor elementor-44202\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-738d4bb e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"738d4bb\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-960cb9d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"960cb9d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Athough no hard data exists for Australia at this time, a 2021 British study of the environmental impact of PPE for health<br \/>and social care workers in the first six months of the COVID pandemic paint a stark picture. The carbon footprint of the PPE distributed in those six months in 2020 amounted to approximately 106,478 tonnes of CO2.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-df34319 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"df34319\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-df1ceb0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"df1ceb0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The disposal of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/search?searchTerm=ppe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>personal protective equipment<\/strong><\/a> (PPE) in Australia has become a significant environmental concern, especially since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Every year, a considerable amount of PPE waste is generated.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8016095 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"8016095\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7caf7e1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7caf7e1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>During the 2020-2021 period, Australia produced an estimated 75.8 million tonnes of waste, a portion of which includes discarded PPE. Despite efforts to improve waste management and recycling, PPE contributes significantly to the growing volume of waste sent to landfills.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ac9e9f4 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"ac9e9f4\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5ae5517 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5ae5517\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>With Australia&#8217;s recycling rate for plastics, including PPE, standing at just 13%, most of this waste ends up in landfills, worsening environmental challenges. As PPE use continues, addressing the environmental impact of its disposal is critical.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ee0e3ac e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"ee0e3ac\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a02277f elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"a02277f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">What Constitutes PPE<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8e0b82b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"8e0b82b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>PPE comes in many forms, as different industries have different hazards that people need to be protected from.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3618dc1 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"3618dc1\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-04a96ef elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"04a96ef\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Medical PPE<\/h2><p>The focus of the study mentioned above is focused on PPE used primarily in a medical setting, such as:<\/p><ul><li><strong><a title=\"Gloves\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/workplace-health-and-safety\/hand-protection\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gloves<\/a>:<\/strong> Used to protect hands from exposure to bodily fluids and infectious agents.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/search?searchTerm=face%20mask&amp;categories=673075&amp;brands=&amp;symbols=&amp;sortBy=Popularity_ASC\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Face Masks and Respirators<\/strong><\/a>: Surgical masks and N95 respirators protect the nose and mouth from airborne particles and droplets.<\/li><li><strong><a title=\"Gowns and Aprons\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/workplace-health-and-safety\/personal-protective-equipment\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gowns and Aprons<\/a>:<\/strong> Worn to protect the body and clothing from contamination.<\/li><li><strong><a title=\"Face Shields\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/workplace-health-and-safety\/personal-protective-equipment\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Face Shields<\/a> and <a title=\"Goggles\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/workplace-health-and-safety\/eye-protection\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Goggles<\/a>:<\/strong> Protect the eyes from splashes and sprays of infectious materials.<\/li><li><strong><a title=\"Shoe Covers\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/index.html?pg=searchresultsdisplay&amp;stkcodes=SAFE3811+SAFE3823+SAFE1936+SAFE1166+SAFE3824\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shoe Covers<\/a>:<\/strong> Worn over shoes to prevent contamination of footwear in sterile environments.<\/li><li><strong><a title=\"Caps\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/search?searchTerm=head%20protection\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Caps<\/a> and <a title=\"Hair Covers\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/search?searchTerm=hair%20net\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hair Covers<\/a>:<\/strong> Protect against contamination in environments like operating rooms.<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3193cd6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"3193cd6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/workplace-health-and-safety\/personal-protective-equipment\" target=\"_blank\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Face-shield-gloved-cap-2.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-44321\" alt=\"Face shield, gloves and mask\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Face-shield-gloved-cap-2.png 500w, https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-content\/smush-avif\/2024\/09\/Face-shield-gloved-cap-2-300x180.png.avif 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" data-smush-avif-fallback=\"{&quot;srcset&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.cos.net.au\\\/c\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/Face-shield-gloved-cap-2.png 500w, https:\\\/\\\/www.cos.net.au\\\/c\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/Face-shield-gloved-cap-2-300x180.png 300w&quot;}\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d5d5661 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"d5d5661\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6f577c3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"6f577c3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Industrial PPE<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f340c34 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f340c34\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Industrial PPE is designed to protect workers from hazards in industrial settings. Examples include:<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/search?searchTerm=HARD%20HAT\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Hard Hats:<\/strong><\/a> Protect the head from falling objects and impacts.<\/li><li><strong><a title=\"Safety Glasses\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/search?searchTerm=safety%20glasses\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Safety Glasses<\/a> and Goggles:<\/strong> Shield the eyes from debris, chemical splashes, and other hazards.<\/li><li><strong><a title=\"Earplugs and Earmuffs\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/search?searchTerm=ear%20protection&amp;categories=6773&amp;brands=&amp;symbols=&amp;sortBy=Popularity_ASC\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Earplugs and Earmuffs<\/a>:<\/strong> Protect hearing from loud noises in environments like construction sites or manufacturing plants.<\/li><li><strong><a title=\"High-Visibility Clothing\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/workplace-health-and-safety\/workwear?categories=673210%7C673212%7C673218%7C673205%7C673215%7C673219%7C673216&amp;brands=&amp;symbols=&amp;sortBy=Popularity_ASC\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">High-Visibility Clothing<\/a>:<\/strong> Enhances worker visibility in low-light or high-traffic areas.<\/li><li><strong><a title=\"Safety Boots and Shoes\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/search?searchTerm=safety%20boots&amp;categories=6734&amp;brands=&amp;symbols=&amp;sortBy=Popularity_ASC\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Safety Boots and Shoes<\/a>:<\/strong> Provide foot protection against punctures, slips, and heavy objects.<\/li><li><strong>Respirators:<\/strong> Protect against inhalation of harmful dust, fumes, and chemicals.<\/li><li><strong>Gloves:<\/strong> Many industries require distinct levels of hand protection.<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ac0ea1b elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"ac0ea1b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/workplace-health-and-safety\/personal-protective-equipment\" target=\"_blank\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Hard-hat-boots-gloves.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-44331\" alt=\"Hard hat, boots, gloves\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Hard-hat-boots-gloves.png 500w, https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-content\/smush-avif\/2024\/09\/Hard-hat-boots-gloves-300x180.png.avif 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" data-smush-avif-fallback=\"{&quot;srcset&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.cos.net.au\\\/c\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/Hard-hat-boots-gloves.png 500w, https:\\\/\\\/www.cos.net.au\\\/c\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/Hard-hat-boots-gloves-300x180.png 300w&quot;}\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-70f70e0 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"70f70e0\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c8a00a8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"c8a00a8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">The Problem with PPE Disposal<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0585f91 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"0585f91\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6cc4845 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6cc4845\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Despite how common PPE is, disposing of PPE sustainably is challenging for several reasons:<\/p><ul><li><strong>Material Composition:<\/strong> Many PPE items, like masks, gloves, and gowns, are made from non-biodegradable synthetic materials, such as plastics and composites. These materials are durable and difficult to break down in landfills.<\/li><li><strong>Contamination:<\/strong> PPE used in industrial or medical settings often encounters hazardous substances, including chemicals, biological contaminants, or infectious agents. This contamination makes it unsafe to recycle or reuse these items without specialised treatment processes.<\/li><li><strong>Recycling Complexity:<\/strong> The mixed-material construction of PPE, such as respirators that combine plastic, metal, and fabric, or Hi-Vis clothing that combine fabric and plastics complicates recycling. Each material type needs to be separated, a process not always workable on a large scale.<\/li><li><strong>Lack of Infrastructure:<\/strong> Many regions lack the infrastructure to properly collect, process, and recycle PPE. Without adequate facilities, most PPE ends up in landfills or incinerators, contributing to environmental pollution.<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6dc4d7b e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"6dc4d7b\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9363773 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"9363773\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">What Can We Do?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a6a1799 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"a6a1799\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-12d5889 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"12d5889\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>PPE is a necessity for many, if not most industries, but even with the difficulties of disposing of PPE, there are still things an organisation can do to limit their PPE carbon footprint.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-efa83c6 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"efa83c6\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6f00b02 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6f00b02\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3><strong>Eco-Friendly Options<\/strong><\/h3><p>Masks, gloves, and some other forms of medical grade PPE typically don\u2019t have eco-friendly options due to the need for specific materials to meet exacting standards, but that isn\u2019t the case for all PPE.<\/p><p>Uniform and Hi-Vis clothing manufacturer <strong><a title=\"Portwest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/search?searchTerm=workwear&amp;categories=&amp;brands=PORTWEST&amp;symbols=&amp;sortBy=Popularity_ASC\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Portwest<\/a> <\/strong>offers a range of HiVis polos, long sleeves and jackets made from recycled PET bottles and feature 100% recycled polyester. Each garment guaranteed a set number of PET bottles have been recycled in creating it, with 11 PET bottles recycled to make polos, 14 PET bottled for long sleeves, and a whopping 36 PET bottles recycled to make each fleece jacket.<\/p><p>By opting for eco-friendly high visibility gear, organisations can ensure that their workers are safe and visible in all conditions, while still limiting their carbon footprint.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-eed219b elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"eed219b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/search?searchTerm=portwest&#038;categories=&#038;brands=&#038;symbols=refsymb_pf&#038;sortBy=Popularity_ASC\" target=\"_blank\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Workwear-shoes-gloves.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-44344\" alt=\"Workwear, shoes, gloves\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Workwear-shoes-gloves.png 500w, https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-content\/smush-avif\/2024\/09\/Workwear-shoes-gloves-300x180.png.avif 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" data-smush-avif-fallback=\"{&quot;srcset&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.cos.net.au\\\/c\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/Workwear-shoes-gloves.png 500w, https:\\\/\\\/www.cos.net.au\\\/c\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/Workwear-shoes-gloves-300x180.png 300w&quot;}\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-13c88b3 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"13c88b3\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2161d10 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2161d10\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3><strong>Specialised Recycling Services<\/strong><\/h3><p>While recycling PPE can be very difficult due to the materials involved or the materials potentially being contaminated, it is not impossible. Specialised recycling solutions for PPE are available across Australia.<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/search?searchTerm=&amp;productCodes=WAST1401%7CWAST1416%7CWAST1400%7CWAST1418%7CWAST1419%7CWAST1400\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-wplink-edit=\"true\"><strong>TerraCycle PPE Recycling Boxes<\/strong><\/a> offer an innovative solution for the sustainable disposal of personal protective equipment such as masks, gloves, and face shields. These boxes are designed to collect used PPE items, which are then sent to TerraCycle recycling facilities for processing. The collected PPE is sanitised to remove contaminants and recycled into raw materials that can be used to manufacture new products, reducing the environmental impact of PPE waste.<\/p><p>By utilising specialised PPE recycling programs such as those offered by TerraCycle, organisations can show a commitment to sustainability while addressing the growing challenge of PPE waste disposal.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6092d9d elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"6092d9d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/search?searchTerm=&#038;productCodes=WAST1401%7CWAST1416%7CWAST1400%7CWAST1418%7CWAST1419%7CWAST1400\" target=\"_blank\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Terracycle-boxes.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-44348\" alt=\"Terracycle boxes for PPE disposal\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Terracycle-boxes.png 500w, https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-content\/smush-avif\/2024\/09\/Terracycle-boxes-300x180.png.avif 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" data-smush-avif-fallback=\"{&quot;srcset&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.cos.net.au\\\/c\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/Terracycle-boxes.png 500w, https:\\\/\\\/www.cos.net.au\\\/c\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/Terracycle-boxes-300x180.png 300w&quot;}\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class='watch-action'><div class='watch-position align-left'><div class='action-like'><a class='lbg-style3 like-44202 jlk' href='javascript:void(0)' data-task='like' data-post_id='44202' data-nonce='1af7497152' rel='nofollow'><img class='wti-pixel' src='https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-content\/plugins\/wti-like-post\/images\/pixel.gif' title='Did you find this useful?' \/><span class='lc-44202 lc'>0<\/span><\/a><\/div><div class='action-unlike'><a class='unlbg-style3 unlike-44202 jlk' href='javascript:void(0)' data-task='unlike' data-post_id='44202' data-nonce='1af7497152' rel='nofollow'><img class='wti-pixel' src='https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-content\/plugins\/wti-like-post\/images\/pixel.gif' title='' \/><span class='unlc-44202 unlc'>0<\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <div class='status-44202 status align-left'><\/div><\/div><div class='wti-clear'><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Athough no hard data exists for Australia at this time, a 2021 British study of the environmental impact of PPE for healthand social care workers in the first six months of the COVID pandemic paint a stark picture. The carbon footprint of the PPE distributed in those six months in 2020 amounted to approximately 106,478 &#8230; <a title=\"Reducing the Environmental Impact of PPE\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/uncategorized\/reducing-ppe-environmental-impact\" aria-label=\"Read more about Reducing the Environmental Impact of PPE\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":44364,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,7,31],"tags":[3260,3258,2447,449,1578],"class_list":["post-44202","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","category-cospedia","category-health-wellbeing","tag-personal-protective-equipment","tag-ppe","tag-safety-at-work","tag-safety-equipment","tag-safety-hazards"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44202","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44202"}],"version-history":[{"count":136,"href":"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44202\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44363,"href":"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44202\/revisions\/44363"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44364"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44202"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44202"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cos.net.au\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44202"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}