Disposed PPE could be turned into biofuel

According to a new study, published in the peer-reviewed Taylor & Francis journal Biofuels, the plastic from used personal protective equipment (PPE) can, and should, be transformed into renewable liquid fuels.

Daily Current Affairs Quiz 2020

Key-Points

The research describes a strategy for converting billions of items of disposable PPE from its plastic state into biofuels.

The transformation into biocrude, a type of synthetic fuel, will not just prevent the severe after-effects to humankind and the environment but also produce a source of energy.

The researchers call for PPE waste to be converted into fuel using chemical a process called pyrolysis. This breaks down plastic at high temperature – between 300-400°C for an hour – without oxygen.

The research team reviewed many related research articles as they looked to explore the current policies around PPE disposal, the polypropylene content in PPE, and the feasibility of converting PPE into biofuel.