#ReclaimTheMask Scheme By ReWorked
Wilko is set to trial an in-store recycling scheme for disposable masks on April 1 2021 in an effort to reduce plastic pollution. The special recycling bins will appear in 150 stores across the UK. This is a partnership with the #ReclaimTheMask campaign launched by ReWorked, a campaign that aims to spread the crucial facts and importance of collecting used PPE safely and recycling it appropriately. The disposable masks were introduced to create safety in the pandemic, but an unforeseen consequence reported by experts is that there are now more disposable masks in the ocean than jellyfish.
How Will This Partnership Reduce Statistics?
Once the bins have been filled up by customers discarded PPE, they will be taken to ReWorked. After a minimum of 72 hours quarantine period, the masks are washed, shredded and mixed to a specialised method before heading to ReWorked board mill where they’re heated and pressed into boards. This technology allows the PPE turned boards to become furniture, building materials, and shopfitting boards as well as new PPE and sanitation stations. This sustainable solution completely reduces waste as reusing the material drastically changes the amount we find in our environments.
The Process
Credit: ReWorked
Greener Choices, Greener Future
The coronavirus pandemic has shown an unprecedented need for single-use masks and other PPE items. The statistics show we are globally using 129 billion face masks & 65 billion gloves every month, increasing the average 8 million tonnes of plastic waste that ended up in our oceans before the pandemic. Covid 19 impact has been distressful, but creating green solutions will help regain our control of the situation. Inventive solutions are always an option to restore our climate. Check the #ReclaimTheMask hashtag to see how you can recycle your PPE.
Comments From The Team
“One of our core values is to show we care and we understand the importance of climate change to our customers who expect us to take-action on their behalf and make better choices about caring for the environment,” Wilko chief executive Jerome Saint Marc said. “That’s why we’re thrilled to have developed this scheme, which makes it super simple for shoppers to safely recycle a product which is often unavoidably discarded as a result of us all taking steps to protect the health of everyone around us.”
