Sustainable Approach on COVID-19’s Plastic Waste and Mitigation Strategy

The generation of enormous plastic wastes due to the extensive use of personal protective equipment (PPE) kits has adverse effects on the environment (including air, water, rivers, streets, and other parts of the environment), human health and animal health. These PPE kits are usually made up of polymeric materials and if these materials enter into the environment via improper discharge or lack of proper management practices, it will result in serious health hazards. Hence, understanding the various methodologies available for the discharge of plastic waste is very critical. In the present chapter, the chemical components of various PPE are summarized. Then, the various disposal technologies such as open dumpsites, uncontrolled incineration, pyrolysis, incineration, and engineered landfills are discussed in detail. In addition, plastic waste footprint and conversion of PPE waste into valuable products are presented.