DuPont Launches Recycling Initiative to Reduce PPE Waste in Europe
The new programme will enable companies to tackle their environmental footprint and waste management costs
DuPont (NYSE: DD) is taking a significant step toward tackling waste from single-use personal protective equipment (PPE), helping companies reduce their environmental footprint and waste management costs. The new initiative will help recycle thousands of DuPont™ Tyvek® disposable garments during the first year alone.
Disposable PPE, from face masks to coveralls, is essential to protect workers across many industrial sectors. However, this vital equipment is generally more complex to recycle than other textiles, meaning it is a substantial source of waste. For example, the WHO estimates that the PPE procured at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic led to up to 87,000 tonnes of waste globally. While chemically or biologically contaminated PPE must be appropriately disposed of, uncontaminated items are potentially recyclable.
To help address this problem, DuPont has worked with a leading plastic recycler in Germany, to recycle used uncontaminated DuPont™ Tyvek® garments. The pilot programme represents another addition to DuPont's successful recycling scheme in North America. It will be limited to Germany initially but aims to expand to neighbouring countries.
DuPont™ Tyvek® garments are used across multiple applications, including cleanrooms, pharmaceuticals manufacturing, healthcare, and industrial processing.
Most disposable garments are manufactured using blends of plastics, which can make the recycling process complex. Even when garments are recyclable, the outcome is often low-quality plastics with limited applications. Unlike other garments, DuPont™ Tyvek® clothing is made using a single material - high-density polyethylene (HDPE) – through a patented flash-spinning technology. Therefore, DuPont™ Tyvek® is easier to recycle than multi-material fabrics, while enabling the production of quality HDPE end products with multiple applications.
DuPont’s recycling programme will enable companies in Germany to work directly with plastic recyclers and to ship used suitable clothing in large batches directly to the plastic recycler. This way, DuPont™ Tyvek® customers will help reduce plastic waste while limiting transport emissions and reducing landfill and incineration costs.
“This pilot programme is the first step toward a sustainable and scalable waste management solution for eligible disposable garments in Europe,” comments Andrzej Palka, Marketing Manager EMEA at DuPont Personal Protection. “DuPont Personal Protection is committed to reducing the environmental footprint of PPE, supporting its customers on their path to sustainability."
DuPont aims to replicate the German model in other European countries by identifying suitable local recyclers to minimise transport emissions.
The DuPont™ Tyvek® recycling programme is part of DuPont Personal Protection’s commitment to advancing PPE sustainability along the value chain, from product development and manufacturing to packaging and distribution. This initiative is consistent with the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and supports the DuPont 2030 Sustainability Goals.
Find out more about DuPont™ Tyvek® protective garments at: http://dpp.dupont.com/
