TOPICS:EasyPak ContainersPersonal Protective EquipmentRecyclingTerraCycle Regulated Waste   POSTED BY: RETROFIT MAGAZINE EDITOR NOVEMBER 18, 2020  

There is good news for fleets that care about safe disposal of PPE and the environment. With the Covid-19 threat ongoing, an estimated 129 billion face masks and 65 billion plastic gloves are being produced every month. Although PPE has become indispensable to keep businesses and fleets operating, these items are not recyclable in typical bins and contribute to already crowded landfills. And that's in the best scenario, when they're actually disposed of properly. The problem is that this surge in production and protection has led to littered PPE covering job sites, streets, and literally flooding marine habitats. To address this separate unintended public health crisis as well as the threat PPE poses to the environment as plastic pollution, a company called TerraCycle Regulated Waste has created a recycling solution for single-use gloves and masks. Designed as a recycling system for businesses in need of a turnkey solution for hazardous waste disposal, the company's PPE EasyPak Containers allow business owners and managers to recycle used gloves and masks onsite, thereby allowing staff to responsibly dispose of their protective gear instead of littering the environment-at-large with plastic waste.

How to recycle PPE waste

TerraCycle Regulated Waste offers three types of containers:

• Disposable Gloves EasyPak Box– to recycle vinyl, nitrile, and latex gloves;
• Disposable Masks EasyPak Box– to recycle surgical and industrial face masks; and
• Safety Equipment and Protective Gear EasyPak Box– to recycle ear plugs, gloves, safety glasses, masks, and even disposable garments.

When full, the boxes are returned to TerraCycle Regulated Waste for processing and the collected waste will be cleaned, melted, and remolded to make new products. “TerraCycle Regulated Waste developed a solution for PPE waste that is as innovative as it is easy to use” said Kevin Flynn, global VP of TerraCycle operations and director of TerraCycle Regulated Waste. “The EasyPak recycling program can help businesses maintain workplace safety while simultaneously keeping their lots, grounds, surrounding communities, and shared environment free from plastic litter.” All EasyPak boxes are UN-compliant, the company says, and are sealed while in transit, limiting any possibility of contamination. Additionally, the containers are available for purchase through a reorder subscription program ensuring that managers are never left without a solution to their universal waste. The boxes travel for up to a week before they are received at TerraCycle Regulated Waste facilities, where additional safety precautions are taken in accordance with CDC recommendations. The EasyPak program does not accept medical waste or biohazardous materials. Source: TerraCycle Regulated Waste

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) has proven crucial in stemming the tide of COVID-19, but this surge in production has led to littered PPE covering streets and literally flooding marine habitats. To address this separate, unintended public health crisis of PPE waste, as well as the threat PPE poses to the environment as plastic pollution, TerraCycle Regulated Waste’s line of EasyPak Containers, an easy-to-use recycling solution for single-use gloves and masks, is poised to help business owners make an impact in time for the holiday rush. Designed as a recycling system for businesses in need of a turnkey solution for hazardous waste disposal, the PPE EasyPak Containers allow business owners or property managers to recycle used gloves and masks on-site, thereby allowing staff to responsibly dispose of their protective gear instead of littering this plastic waste in the environment-at-large. To recycle PPE waste, TerraCycle Regulated Waste offers the following EasyPak containers:

• Disposable Gloves EasyPak Box – holds 45 pounds to recycle vinyl, nitrile, and latex gloves.
• Disposable Masks EasyPak Box – holds up to 25 pounds to recycle surgical and industrial face masks
• Safety Equipment and Protective Gear EasyPak Box – holds 45 pounds to recycle ear plugs, beard nets, hair nets, gloves, safety glasses, disposable garments, and masks.

When full, the boxes are returned to TerraCycle Regulated Waste for processing, and the collected waste will be cleaned, melted, and remolded to make new products. “TerraCycle Regulated Waste developed a solution for PPE waste that is as innovative as it is easy to use,” said Kevin Flynn, Global Vice President of TerraCycle Operations and Director of TerraCycle Regulated Waste. “The EasyPak recycling program can help businesses maintain workplace safety while simultaneously keeping their parking lots, grounds, surrounding communities, and shared environment free from plastic litter just in time for the holiday rush.” TerraCycle Regulated Waste created the EasyPak program to help businesses facilitate the effective and compliant management of regulated, universal, and hazardous waste. All EasyPak boxes are UN-compliant and are sealed while in transit, limiting any possibility of contamination. Additionally, for added convenience, the EasyPak containers are available for purchase through a reorder subscription program ensuring that property managers are never left without a solution to their universal waste. The boxes travel for up to a week before they are received at TerraCycle Regulated Waste facilities, where additional safety precautions are taken in accordance with CDC recommendations. The EasyPak program does not accept medical waste or biohazardous materials. To learn about TerraCycle’s Regulated Waste Division, visit www.lamprecycling.com.

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TerraCycle Regulated Waste created the EasyPak program to help businesses facilitate the effective and compliant management of regulated, universal and hazardous waste.

In the wake of COVID-19, everyone, especially essential workers, is living in a new normal of personal protective equipment (PPE) like facemasks and gloves. While PPE has become indispensable to keep businesses operating, unfortunately a large amount of these items ends up littered. An ACS Publications article, COVID-19 Pandemic Repercussions on the Use and Management of Plastics, states that an estimated 129 billion face masks and 65 billion gloves are used monthly throughout the world. With so much COVID-related PPE being used yet not recyclable in blue bins, how much ends up on the streets, in the ocean, or in landfills?

TRENTON, N.J.—Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) has proven indispensable in the wake of COVID-19 but this surge has led to littered PPE flooding streets and marine habitats. To address this unintended public health crisis of potentially hazardous litter, TerraCycle Regulated Waste has launched an easy-to-use recycling solution for single-use gloves and masks through their line of EasyPak Containers. Designed as a recycling system for businesses in need of a turn-key solution for hazardous waste disposal, the PPE EasyPack Containers allow property managers to easily recycle used gloves and masks on-site, thereby allowing staff to responsibly dispose of their protective gear instead of tossing items on the ground. To recycle PPE waste, TerraCycle Regulated Waste offers the following EasyPak containers:

• Disposable Gloves EasyPak Box—to recycle vinyl, nitrile, and latex gloves.
• Disposable Masks EasyPak Box—to recycle surgical and industrial face masks.

When full, the boxes are returned to TerraCycle Regulated Waste for processing and the collected waste will be cleaned, melted, and remolded to make new products. Convenient Way to Ensure Environmental Protection “In this time of uncertainty, business owners are struggling to preserve their workers’ health and safety, while maintaining their commitment to the environment, but it doesn’t have to be that way,” said Kevin Flynn, Global Vice President of TerraCycle Operations and Director of TerraCycle Regulated Waste. “Through the EasyPak recycling program, TerraCycle Regulated Waste offers a convenient way for businesses to ensure the protection of our shared environment while maintaining workplace safety.” TerraCycle Regulated Waste created the EasyPak program to help businesses facilitate the effective and compliant management of regulated, universal and hazardous waste. All EasyPak boxes are UN-compliant and are sealed while in transit, limiting any possibility of contamination. Additionally, for added convenience, the EasyPak containers are available for purchase through a reorder subscription program ensuring that property managers are never left without a solution to their universal waste. The boxes travel for up to a week before they are received at TerraCycle Regulated Waste facilities, where additional safety precautions are taken in accordance with CDC recommendations. The EasyPak program does not accept medical waste or biohazardous materials. To learn about TerraCycle’s Regulated Waste Division, visit www.lamprecycling.com.

Trenton, New Jersey-based TerraCycle Regulated Waste has launched what it calls an easy-to-use recycling solution for personal protective equipment (PPE), such as single-use gloves and masks, through its line of EasyPak Containers. “Designed as a recycling system for businesses in need of a turnkey solution for hazardous waste disposal, the PPE EasyPack Containers allow property managers to easily recycle used gloves and masks onsite, thereby allowing staff to responsibly dispose of their protective gear instead of tossing items on the ground,” states TerraCycle. The company says it is offering two different types of EasyPak containers: the Disposable Gloves EasyPak Box to recycle vinyl, nitrile and latex gloves; and the Disposable Masks EasyPak Box to recycle surgical and industrial face masks. When full, the boxes can be returned to TerraCycle Regulated Waste for processing so collected materials can be cleaned, melted and remolded to make new products. “In this time of uncertainty, business owners are struggling to preserve their workers’ health and safety, while maintaining their commitment to the environment, but it doesn’t have to be that way,” says Kevin Flynn, global vice president of TerraCycle Operations and director of TerraCycle Regulated Waste. Adds Flynn, “Through the EasyPak recycling program, TerraCycle Regulated Waste offers a convenient way for businesses to ensure the protection of our shared environment while maintaining workplace safety.” The company says EasyPak containers are available for purchase through a reorder subscription program. Boxes with discarded material in them can travel for up to a week before they are received at TerraCycle Regulated Waste facilities, “where additional safety precautions are taken in accordance with CDC recommendations,” states the firm. TerraCycle says the EasyPak program does not accept medical waste or biohazardous materials. More information about TerraCycle’s Regulated Waste Division can be found on this web page.