Wealden District Council
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Disposal of PPE

Disposable gloves, face masks and other PPE can't be recycled

With a new Government instruction to wear face coverings in shops soon to come into force, we would like to encourage residents in Wealden to use reusable face coverings or masks where possible, not only will this save you money in the long term but it will also prevent hundreds of disposable masks being thrown away.

Re-useable face coverings are simple to make and there are plenty of online guides to help you, including the following https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-wear-and-make-a-cloth-face-covering.

Disposable face-masks, gloves and other PPE cannot be recycled and should not be placed in your recycling bin.

If you need to throw away used face coverings or PPE, such as gloves:

  • dispose of them in your household rubbish bin
  • do not put them in a recycling bin as they cannot be recycled
  • if you are out and about, please take them home with you to put in your rubbish bin – please don’t drop them as litter

If you or any members of your household are self-isolating, any face coverings or PPE used should be double bagged and left for 72 hours before being put into your household waste bin.

Further information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-disposing-of-waste