Sustainable alternatives for COVID-19 PPE: biodegradable wipes and reusable mask made of pineapple leaf fibre

2019冠状病毒病大流行在许多方面影响了我们的生活方式。它不仅主要影响我们的健康，而且对我们的卫生系统的最佳表现也有巨大的影响。重要的是寻找能够减少病毒传播并有助于生活在更安全环境中的可能性。现有用于保护社会的个人防护用品主要由不可降解的可回收一次性塑料或微塑料制成。在没有明确路线的情况下回收现有的个人防护用品。这一事实将造成巨大的废物影响，随着压力的增加，将总结为实际的环境问题和衍生的气候变化。“按照目前的速度，我们每个月向环境中排放1290亿个口罩和650亿个塑料手套。”其中大部分都流入了海洋，加剧了塑料垃圾问题。迫切需要一种可生物降解的、无毒的替代品来替代现有的PPE，而不影响其性能。在这个项目中，我们建议使用菠萝叶纤维来生产可生物降解的卫生湿巾和可重复使用的口罩。这将有助于满足我们对个人防护装备的需求，同时以积极的气候友好型替代方案缓解已经超负荷的环境的压力。换句话说，以更可持续的方式减少病毒的传播，以减少大流行病对气候变化的影响，并保持我们的海洋清洁。由于欧盟即将颁布有关禁止使用一次性塑料制品的法规，寻找使用可回收的天然纤维来取代现有的合成纤维的做法很普遍，Ananas Anam已经开始将菠萝叶纤维定位为合适的替代品，并得到了市场的良好反应。然而，这个潜在的市场也要求纤维是微生物安全的，菠萝叶纤维可以通过在现有生产线上增加一个新的步骤来实现。这将使Ananas Anam有机会通过向市场提供更可持续的纤维和纱线在这些市场中发展。菠萝叶纤维在卫生湿巾开发中的可行性已经得到证实，并引起了市场的极大兴趣。为了实现这一目标，有必要通过额外的步骤来加强供应链，以确保纤维的最终质量。该项目将基于探索并将灭菌步骤整合到生产线上，这需要是可持续的，可扩展的，并且不影响现有的其他纤维特性。此外，经过消毒后，这些纤维可以用作纱线的来源，这些纱线可以通过3D编织技术转化为针织口罩，旨在减少浪费。

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected our way of living in many ways. It affects not only mainly our health but also has a huge impact in the optimum performance of our health system. It is important to look for possibilities that can decrease the spread of the virus and help to live in a safer environment. The existing used PPE with the aim of protecting the society are mainly made from non-degradable either recyclable single use plastics or microplastics. Without a clear route recycle the existing PPE. This fact will cause a huge waste impact with increased pressures is going to sum up to the actual environmental problem and derived climate change. "At the current rate we are putting a 129 billion face masks and 65 billion plastic gloves into the environment every single month." Laurent Lombard and most of it is ending in the ocean, adding up to the plastic waste problem. A biodegradable, non-toxic alternative is urgently needed to substitute the existing PPE without compromising the performance.In this project we suggest the use of Pineapple leaf fibres to be used to produce biodegradable hygienic wipes and reusable masks. This would help to fulfil our need for PPE whilst relieving pressure on an already overloaded environment, with a positive climate-friendly alternative. In other words, decrease the spreading of the virus in a more sustainable way to decrease the impact of the pandemic also in climate change and keep our oceans clean.Due to the imminent EU regulation related to the ban of using single use plastic products, the search for use of recoverable natural fibres to replace the existing synthetic fibres is widespread, Ananas Anam has already started positioning pineapple leaf fibres as suitable alternative with good response from the market. However, this potential market also requires the fibres to be microbiologically safe, which can be achieved with pineapple leaf fibre by adding a new step to the existing production line. This would give Ananas Anam the opportunity to grow in these markets through providing a more sustainable fibre and yarn to the market.The viability of the use of pineapple leaf fibres in the development of hygienic wipes has already been proven with established great interest from the market.In order to achieve this, it is necessary to enhance the supply chain with an additional step to assure the final quality of the fibres. This project will be based on the exploring and incorporation of a sterilisation step to the production line, that needs to be sustainable, scalable and do not affect the existing other fibre properties.In addition, after being sterilised, the fibres can be used as a source for yarn, that can be converted into a knitted mask using 3D knitting technology, designed to reduce waste.