Vast amounts of personal protective equipment (PPE) is used on a global basis each day, which has been the inspiration for this concrete material to give it a second life.
The concrete has been developed by a team of engineers at the RMIT University in Melbourne after a series of studies into how much shredded face mask, rubber glove and gown material could be concentrated. The final result found the rubber gloves improved the strength of the concrete by up to 22%, while the shredded gowns and face masks offered 15% and 17% increases, respectively.
Professor Jie Li commented on the recycled concrete material saying, "We have all seen disposable masks littering our streets, but even when this waste is disposed of properly it all ends up in landfill. 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."
PPE-Infused Concrete Materials
This Concrete Features Shredded Waste Materials
Trend Themes
1. Ppe-infused Materials - Opportunity for construction companies to innovate with sustainable materials and circular economy models using discarded PPE.
2. Circular Economy Concrete - Opportunity to develop a circular economy model using PPE waste for concrete production.
3. Upcycled PPE - Opportunity for upcycling PPE waste to strengthen and create new construction materials.
Industry Implications
1. Construction - Opportunity for companies to adopt environmentally friendly building materials by using PPE waste in construction industry.
2. Waste Management - Developing innovative methods and techniques for sustainable management of PPE waste providing communities with a safer environment.
3. Sustainable Production - Opportunity for companies to produce sustainable building materials by upcycling PPE waste in their production process.