MediFlex: Human-Centred Design for Sustainable PPE

**本项目满足了对一次性塑料个人防护装备（PPE）的可持续替代品的环境、医疗保健和商业需求。**作为英国应对COVID-19的一部分，卫生和社会保障部（DHSC）的个人防护装备战略确定需要额外的50亿件个人防护装备，以满足卫生和社会保健提供者日益增长的需求，然而，只有70%将在英国生产。DHSC战略还确定需要创新和可持续的个人防护装备以及改进的设计，以解决不合身/不舒服的物品。临床环境中用于个人防护装备的石油衍生塑料在焚烧时由于化石碳的释放而对环境产生负面影响，导致全球变暖。如果处理不当，它们无法生物降解，导致陆地和海洋污染，对野生动物和食品供应链产生不可接受的影响。**该项目的目的是通过开发可持续的生物塑料薄膜来解决这些问题，以取代或减少目前基于石油的塑料PPE的使用。**从农业食品副产品中提取的生物塑料已被用于生产包括柔性薄膜在内的材料。这些材料可以取代非手术情况下大量使用的一次性个人防护用品，例如围裙/医疗垃圾袋。该项目以农业食品副产品（afbp）加工技术的最新进展为基础，使商业上可用的柔性薄膜的制造成为可能。afbp在英国大量可用（每年160万吨），然而，它们通常不被利用，经常被填埋或焚烧。例如，作为果汁或苹果酒生产的副产品，每年生产45000吨苹果渣。渣渣可以进一步加工成柔性薄膜，同时与其他afbp衍生材料混合，产生新的特性，例如抗微生物活性。为了解决与个人防护装备性能和可用性有关的问题，将采用以人为本的设计（HCD）方法来确定基于可持续生物基替代品的个人防护装备材料的规格和用户要求。HCD方法将用于加强和鼓励使用生物塑料薄膜作为防护围裙作为个人防护用品。项目活动包括：(i)通过面谈根据弹性胶片评价利益攸关方对目前个人防护装备的行为；确立以人为中心的特点和记录关键的设计规格，以鼓励采用新的柔性生物塑料以供广泛采用；评价用户的期望，例如产品的舒适度和可用性，以及必要的性能特征，包括物理特性、机械性能、耐久性、保质期和寿命结束处理。该项目的重点是生产有大量市场需求的柔性生物塑料。成功生产用于一次性PPE应用的可持续材料将减少进口，促进英国经济增长，创造就业机会，同时确保供应安全。其他好处包括为农业种植者提供额外收入，减少送往垃圾填埋场的废物数量。英国到2040年实现二氧化碳净零排放的进程也将得到支持。

**This project addresses an identified environmental, healthcare and commercial demand for sustainable alternatives to single-use plastic personal protective equipment (PPE).** As part of the UK's COVID-19 response, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) PPE strategy identifies a need for an additional 5 billion PPE items to address the increased demands from health and social care providers, however, only 70% will be produced in the UK. The DHSC strategy has also identified the need for innovative and sustainable PPE as well as improved designs to address ill-fitting/uncomfortable items.Oil-derived plastics used for PPE in clinical settings negatively impact the environment when incinerated due to the release of fossil carbon, contributing to global warming. If disposed of incorrectly, they do not biodegrade leading to contamination of land and sea with unacceptable effects on wildlife and the food supply chain.**The aim of the project is to address these issues through the development of sustainable bioplastic films to replace or reduce current oil-based plastic PPE usage.**Bioplastics derived from agri-food by-products have been used to produce materials that include flexible films. These materials can replace existing single-use plastics used as PPE that are used in large quantities in non-surgical situations, for example aprons/clinical waste bags. This project builds on recent advances in processing techniques for agri-food by-products (AFBPs), enabling the manufacture of commercially usable flexible films. AFBPs are available in the UK in large quantities (\>1.6 million tonnes per year), however, they are generally not exploited and frequently disposed to landfill or incinerated. For example, 45,000 tonnes of apple pomace are produced each year as a by-product of juice or cider production. The pomace can be further processed to produce flexible films, whilst blending with other AFBP-derived materials to produce novel features e.g. anti-microbial activity.To address issues relating to PPE performance and usability, a Human-Centred Design (HCD) approach will be used to establish the specifications and user requirements for PPE materials based on sustainable bio-based alternatives.HCD methods will be used to enhance and encourage the use of bioplastic films for PPE in the form of a protective apron. The project activities include:(i)Evaluation of stakeholder behaviour with respect to current PPE based on flexible films through interviews;(ii)Establishing human-centred features and documenting key design specifications that will encourage the uptake of novel flexible bioplastics for widespread adoption;(iii)Evaluation of user-expectations such as comfort and usability of the product, as well as requisite performance characteristics including physical properties, mechanical, durability, shelf-life and end-of-life treatment.The project focuses on production of flexible bioplastics for which there is a substantial market need. Successful production of sustainable materials for single-use PPE applications will reduce imports, grow the UK economy and create employment opportunities, whilst ensuring security of supply.Additional benefits include providing additional income for agricultural growers and reducing the quantity of waste sent to landfill. The UK's progress towards achievement of net-zero emissions of carbon dioxide by 2040 will also be supported.