PPE provided to NHS during COVID-19 pandemic poses environmental challenge

According to a new study published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, the carbon footprint of personal protective equipment (PPE) provided to healthcare and welfare workers in England during the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic was equivalent to a flight from London to New York 244 times a day . The good news is that adopting a range of strategies, including increasing manufacturing, reuse and recycling in the UK, could significantly reduce the environmental impact of PPE while maintaining the safety of the consumer. staff and patients.

The study, carried out by Brighton and Sussex Medical School and Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, found that the 3 billion items of PPE used from February to July last year generated 591 tonnes of carbon per day, or 27,000 times the carbon footprint of the average individual. . The 1.8 billion gloves used had the greatest environmental impact, followed by aprons, face shields and masks.

The study also suggested ways in which the use of PPE in the future could reduce the environmental impact. This includes reusing gowns and face shields where possible, recycling waste PPE and manufacturing PPE in the UK. But the biggest impact could be reducing the volumes of PPE used, for example by using hand washing instead of wearing gloves.

Chantelle Rizan, a doctor at the NHS and a researcher at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, led the study. She said: “COVID-19 has impacted many aspects of life. Our study is the first to examine the environmental damage associated with the use of PPE on such a scale, and the results are concerning. However, a combination of strategies could have reduced the carbon footprint. by 75%. We do not advocate measures that may increase the risk of infection, but guidelines for the use of PPE are not always consistent or up to date with the latest scientific data. It can be perfectly safe to wash your hands rather than using gloves. many situations, and this is something that needs to be explored. “

Professor Neil Mortensen, President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said: “It is clear that the virus will still be with us for some time, so the need for PPE to keep staff and patients safe is still This is a sobering new study, and we also need to look at how to reduce the environmental impact of PPE, including by making more use of reusable items or how PPE and other plastic healthcare waste can be recycled, what the College’s Surgical Sustainability Working Group is investigating. ”