COVID-19 pandemic.The report, tabled Friday by Metro Vancouver’s Zero Waste Committee, found that an estimated 528 million items of personal protective equipment (PPE) were disposed of in 2020 — about 194 items for every resident.
Plastic waste from personal protective equipment — the other coronavirus ‘plague’ Gloves were the most commonly disposed item (about 136 per person), followed by masks (about 40 per person).Synthetic wipes, not including paper towels or toilet paper, came in third, at about 18 per person.The report notes the more than half-a-billion items of PPE may actually be an undercount, “as it is uncertain if overall contributions of personal protective equipment from health-care waste, which contains high concentrations.