YS198: RenewMask

Lo Yun Yi SMJK Jit Sin

VIC24 | Young Scientist

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RenewMask is an eco-friendly mask recycling system that collects and recycles face masks for medical and home use. The recycling system produces plastic fiber that can be reused in production of other plastic products. Due to the emergence of COVID-19, extensive usage of disposable face masks generates millions of tons of plastic waste and leads to worldwide pollution. If the global population uses one disposable face mask daily, 129 billion face masks will be disposed of monthly. Large amounts of masks are disposed of through landfills and incinerators. Since masks are made of plastic, it decomposes very slowly and can release hazardous fumes and chemicals which are harmful to the environment and life on earth. In light of this, we invented RenewMask that aims to create an eco-friendly mask recycling system to recycle face masks into plastic fiber that can be reused. RenewMask focuses on recycling polypropylene, polyethylene, polyurethane, polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyacrylonitrile contained in face masks, which add plastic or microplastic pollution to the environment and also cause negative impact to aquatic life. Recycling the petroleum-based material used in production of face masks can also reduce the consumption of non-renewable energy, petroleum. Also, RenewMask aims to enhance public health by mitigating the risk of disease transmission by proper disposal of masks. RenewMask tends to create a user-friendly mask disposal device which is widely used by the public to reduce the pandemic waste that is produced daily.