Heat packs, used by many people as hand warmers during the winter months, can be reused for deodorization and moisture absorption after they have lost their heating function, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said on Tuesday, adding that people should dispose of used heat packs separate from general or recycling garbage.
The agency made the announcement in light of increased sales of heat packs in the past few weeks.
Heat packs are made up of composite materials including iron powder, salts and absorbent polymers, and heat up due to oxidization when exposed to the air and moisture.
The composite materials in the heat packs cannot be efficiently recycled and might pose an environmental pollution risk if disposed of in landfills, the agency said.
People should therefore repurpose heat packs, it said, adding that people could for example place them in their cabinets or wardrobe, as the active carbon in the used packs efficiently absorbs moisture and smells.
To dispose of heat packs, people should give them to garbage collectors, who would bring them to an incinerator, the agency said.
The incinerators’ filtration system would be able to prevent toxic materials that might be in heat packs from being released into the atmosphere, it added.
To limit the use of heat packs potentially harmful to the environment, the agency urged the public to instead use electric heaters or air conditioners that are also more energy-efficient.
Additional reporting by CNA
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