Repurposing healthcare waste: transforming plastic-based PPE into construction materials

Presentation by Professor Jie Lie (RMIT University)

Abstract

Plastic-based PPE waste has caused severe environmental pollution. The RMIT research team, led by Professor Jie Li, has conducted a series of groundbreaking studies on the feasibility of utilising healthcare plastics, including face masks, gloves, and isolation gowns, for various civil and construction applications, such as asphalt, road base, subbase and subgrade, and concrete. A comprehensive series of mechanical and microstructural tests were conducted. The results indicated that incorporating specific contents of healthcare plastics in these applications can enhance the performance of concrete and road pavement. This presentation will highlight the findings of our research on PPE waste.