Recycled PPE could strengthen concrete

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Engineers in Australia have developed a method to use recycled personal protective equipment (PPE) to make concrete stronger.

The RMIT team’s concrete that was made using PPE
The RMIT team’s concrete that was made using PPE - RMIT University

Published in the journals Case Studies in Construction Materials, Science of the Total Environment and Journal of Cleaner Production, the study from RMIT University, Melbourne demonstrates the potential for three key types of disposable PPE to be used as reinforcement materials in structural concrete. 

An estimated 54,000 tonnes of PPE waste has been produced on average globally each day since the beginning of the pandemic. Around 129 billion disposable face masks are used and discarded around the world each month.

First author, PhD researcher Shannon Kilmartin-Lynch, said the research brought a circular economy approach to the challenge of dealing with healthcare waste.

“We urgently need smart solutions for the ever-growing pile of COVID-19 generated waste – this  challenge will remain even after the pandemic is over,” said Kilmartin-Lynch, a Vice-Chancellor’s Indigenous Pre-Doctoral Fellow at RMIT.

In three separate feasibility studies, disposable face masks, rubber gloves and isolation gowns were first shredded then incorporated into concrete at various volumes between 0.1 per cent and 0.25 per cent.

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According to the team, the rubber gloves increased compressive strength by 22 per cent. Isolation gowns increased resistance to bending stress by up to 21 per cent, compressive strength by 15 per cent and elasticity by 12 per cent. Face masks increased compressive strength by up to 17 per cent. Industry partner Casafico Pty Ltd is planning to use these findings in a field project.

“We have all seen disposable masks littering our streets, but even when this waste is disposed of properly it all ends up in landfill,” said co-author and research team leader Professor Jie Li. 

“With a circular economy approach, we could keep that waste out of landfill while squeezing the full value out of these materials to create better products — it’s a win on all fronts.”

The team’s next step will be to evaluate the potential for mixing the PPE streams, develop practical implementation strategies and work toward field trials, involving further collaboration with the healthcare and construction industries.