Plastic used for Healthcare PPE

Everyone is facing a lot with the current pandemic and the way the world has shifted. We recently put out an article explaining a way that other people could help – the common people, businesses, etc. and how we can all do our part, especially when it comes to healthcare PPE. But with everything going on, it raises one issue that people have been going back and forth on for years now – the war on plastic.

Many of the materials used in medical equipment and healthcare PPE revolve around plastic. One of the main reasons for this isn’t just how cheap it is to produce, but it is still a valid one. Plastic has many irreplaceable qualities, which make them one of the most suitable materials for this given purpose. Plastics are chemically resistant, making them ideal for medical use, along with the benefits of them being resistant to gases, which gives an extreme advantage to medical personnel, who may have to worry about exposure to blood, bodily fluids and infectious diseases. This helps to keep a barrier between them and patients, keeping everyone as safe as possible. It can be lifesaving in many cases.

Some of those cases are happening right now. Not only is the material the best choice, it is extremely important in our current pandemic. Many of the reasons listed above for why it is used, are being put into practice for medical personnel, protecting them as much as possible from COVID-19. This is happening very specifically in the use of face shields – which are under manufactured trying to keep up with demand and as stated in our previous article, are being produced by the masses. Plastic manufacturers are coming together, pulling their resources to donate and mould these essential PPE.

Impact Solutions have tested medical devices and packaging before, but plastics can be used on insulation pumps, blood bags and so much more. The way it interacts with what is being placed inside (potential chemicals) means that there are a lot of reactions adverse materials could cause. Being mostly un-reactive, makes this material the smarter choice.

So, while there may be cases where plastic may be seen as unnecessary (single use plastic) there are a lot of industries that can’t replace the integral use of plastic. Plastic has its place in our society and while many organisations would like to say that the world should ban every piece of plastic made, we can’t deny its uses. In some cases, it may save lives.