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14
Apr 2021
Harrogate hospital to recycle face masks using new machine
Harrogate District Hospital has ordered a machine that turns single use plastics, including face masks, into reusable material.
Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust is one of eight health trusts pioneering the new technology.
Covid has forced hospital staff to use far more personal protective equipment (PPE).
But some face masks are thrown away after just a few hours.
Research from a waste company suggested the UK throws away 53 million masks every day and just 10% are recycled.
Official government guidance urges people to dispose of face masks as waste rather than recycling.
Read more:
- Harrogate face mask litter a ‘sign of the times’
- Collect coronavirus tests at 25 pharmacies in Harrogate district
But with so many masks going to landfill and incinerators, hospitals have turned to Cardiff company TCG Solutions' new machine.
Called a Sterimelt, it melts down polypropylene, which is a material used in the manufacture of face masks, into solid blocks of plastic that can be repurposed and used as items such as bins.
Philip Davison-Sebry, founder and managing director of the company, said:
The machine, which costs £55,000, turns polypropylene into reusable plastic blocks, which can be used to make bins, chairs and other items.
Although the machine is not up and running yet in Harrogate, the trust hopes to start recycling as soon as possible.
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