For disposable respirators, the most straightforward reuse method in non-medical settings is to rotate your mask every three or four days, storing it in a clean paper bag when not in use. Wash your hands thoroughly before and after you touch your mask, and keep your mask dry – if your mask gets wet, stop using it. Consider numbering your masks so you don’t mix them up.up to five times before throwing it away .
compared to a single fabric or surgical mask. And fabric masks will also offer protection against other droplet-based diseases, like the flu.The surge in disposable mask waste points to a broader issue that’s getting increasingly recognized: hospital waste. Take single use plastic hospital gowns, for example. An estimated 1 million gowns have been used each year of the pandemic at just one acute public hospitals in Victoria, according to an ongoing investigation undertaken by co-author Forbes McGain.
This number is a conservative estimate, and only captures public hospitals when we know disposal gowns are used in many other settings. This includes in private hospitals, aged care, residential and home care, allied health services and testing and vaccination centers.