Mercyhurst’s Sustainability Club recently partnered with LifeCycle Revive, a Canadian company that recycles PPE waste.

Studies show that 4.4 to 15.1 million tons of mismanaged plastic waste have been generated since the onset of the COVID pandemic.

The company not only recycles masks, but other types of medical and personal protection equipment.

The mask recycling box is in the lobby of Old Main behind the receptionist desk. To recycle used PPE masks, simply drop the mask inside the box.

Accepted masks include surgical masks, N95s, KN95, and face shields. Cloth masks cannot be recycled.

Masks that have been heavily dirtied cannot be accepted into the collection to be sent to LifeCycle Revive. The company website states that they can only accept non-contaminated medical waste.

The Sustainability Club plans to keep the mask recycling box in its current location until it is full.

Once the box is full, it will be shipped to LifeCycle Revive, where the masks will be broken down and turned into plastic pellets.

The LifeCycle Revive website states that the pellets can be used to create “nonwoven textile for masks and disposable isolation gowns as well as injection-molded items used in healthcare.”

The Sustainability Club works to make Mercyhurst a more earth-friendly school, so be sure to keep an eye out for any old masks that can be recycled into the collection box.