Utilisation of COVID-19 Waste PPE in the Applications of Structural Concrete

There has been an increase in the use of single-use plastic-based personal protective equipment (PPE) since the commencement of the COVID-19 epidemic in late 2019. As a result, clinical waste generation has increased significantly this as well as various environmental strains from excess waste ending up in landfill. Various recycling solutions are needed to reduce the environmental impact of disposal and incineration. This experimental study aims to examine the utilisation of single-use waste PPE generated from the coronavirus pandemic in structural concrete to aid in scaling back the volume of single-use waste ending up in a landfill. Single-use nitrile gloves, isolation gowns and face masks were separately added to aggregates at varying percentages of the volume of concrete. For the purpose of determining the effects of varying concentrations and materials on the mechanical properties and quality of concrete as well as the specific materials bonding performance within the cement matrix, concrete samples were subjected to compression strength and microstructural analysis. Results demonstrate steady trendy development across compressive strength results, with increases of 17%, 20% and 15%, respectively, across varying applications of waste PPE. At the same time, the results of the SEM-EDS analysis present an excellent bond formation amongst the materials utilised and the cement matrix. To the best of the authors’ knowledge there is a lack of existing studies that examine the feasibility of incorporating waste PPE into civil and construction applications, therefore, this study aims to highlight the novelty surrounding the topic for further research.