With an abundance of plastic waste, but a scarcity of personal protective equipment (PPE), Thailand is turning trash into treasure by upcycling bottles into protective clothing for people at risk of COVID-19 infection.
Millions of plastic bottles have been collected, shredded and turned into threads to be weaved into fabrics eventually used for PPE, either for hospitals or Buddhist temples, where monks have been cremating people who have died of the disease.
“There are times where it is very difficult to get hold of PPE suits, sometimes even if you have money, you can’t buy, but now we’re making it out of upcycling plastic bottles, so what’s trash is now valuable,” said Phra Maha Pranom Dhammalangkaro, abbott of Chakdaeng temple in Samut Prakan Province near Bangkok.
Photo: Reuters
Temple volunteers have been sewing orange PPE suits for monks, undertakers and scavengers, and PPE is being sent to thousands of temples.
Although these are not medical-grade, they provide at least some protection for those potentially exposed to COVID-19, and one PPE suit can be made using only 18 plastic bottles.
The fabric for the PPE is being donated by a textile factory in Rayong Province that usually makes fabrics used by global brands.
At the factory, threads are made from recycled bottles and spun into a giant roll, then weaved into fabric that gets treated to become water resistant.
“This is so that it can prevent particle dust from seeping through and the virus from coming into contact with us,” said Arnuphap Chompuming, head of sales and marketing at textile firm Thai Taffeta, which operates the factory east of Bangkok.
About 18 million plastic bottles have been used since the middle of last year to make fabric for PPE, which has been sent to hospitals across the country, he said.
Phra Maha Pranom Dhammalangkaro said that the upcycling project was helping to ensure more people were protected, not only medical professionals.
“We’re saving lives and the environment as well,” he said.
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