Closed-loop recycling pilot project for single-use facemasks underway
Fraunhofer Institute Umsicht, Sabic and Procter & Gamble are collaborating to create a circular solution to used facemasks collected from the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. Their process involves shredding the masks and chemically converting them into pyrolysis oil. By breaking the masks down with high pressure and heat, the pathogens and pollutants are destroyed, making the materials safe to be reused. Furthermore, the oil can be used to produce new Polypropylene resin that can be processed into non-woven fibre materials to create new facemasks. Learn more about the advanced recycling taking place in this pilot project.
Photo by Kai Pilger on Unsplash