As the widespread use of single-use masks grows, a new study suggests an environmentally friendly solution to disposing of them: by using them in concrete.
A Washington State University study team found that, after a month of curing, the concrete mixture made using mask materials was 47 per cent stronger than regularly used cement.
According to the article published in the journal Materials Letters on April 9, medical masks have fibres that can be useful for the concrete industry.
Cement manufacturing is a carbon-intensive process that accounts for up to 8 per cent of global carbon emissions. Microfibres are occasionally used to reinforce cement concrete, although they are expensive.
Microfibre-reinforced concrete has the potential to lower the quantity of cement required for a project or extend the life of the concrete, saving both carbon emissions and money for builders and owners, the study suggests
And beyond just reducing waste, researchers said that used masks can be mixed into a cement mixture to make stronger, more lasting concrete.
“These waste masks actually could be a valuable commodity if you process them properly,” said Xianming Shi, professor and interim chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the corresponding author of the paper.
“I’m always looking out for waste streams, and my first reaction is, ‘How do I turn that into something usable in concrete or asphalt?’”
It’s estimated more than 63,000 tons of masks from Canada could end up in oceans or landfills in the next year.
Initiatives have popped up around the country to reduce the waste streams that masks are causing.
The British Columbia-based company Vitacore Industries, which makes N95 masks, has started setting up collection bins around the province so they can be recycled.
As the widespread use of single-use masks continues to grow, they produce a new waste stream that, if not properly disposed of, poses a significant environmental danger to the ecosystem.
The company teamed up with researchers at Hamilton’s McMaster University and the University of British Columbia to figure out how each mask can safely be recycled or turned into another product.
The company is looking to set up bins right across the country.
While the study demonstrated the feasibility to upcycle waste masks in the concrete industry and provided a new strategy for disposing of waste masks, researchers note the process has yet to be adopted on larger scales.
