Personal protective equipment recycling

Each year, thousands of single-use personal protective equipment (PPE) items—such as masks, gloves, gowns and hair or beard nets—are used across UBC Okanagan. By participating in PPE recycling and diversion efforts, you can help reduce landfill waste and support a more sustainable campus.

This program is offered through Vitacore.

Program Registration

To register your lab for UBC Okanagan’s PPE Recycling Program, please email us with the following details:

  • Name of the faculty member responsible for the lab
  • Contact information for the primary contact (such as a research assistant or lab manager)
  • Building name and lab room number

Once we receive your information, we’ll follow up with next steps.

Program Overview

The PPE Recycling Program makes it easy to responsibly dispose of accepted items through designated collection points. Below, you’ll find details on what can be recycled, how the materials are processed, and the impact this program is already making on campus.

Accepted Material

  • Non-contaminated gloves (e.g. nitrile, latex, vinyl)
  • Disposable masks and respirators
  • Hair and beard nets
  • Polypropylene isolation gowns

Recycling process

Once deposited into designated recycling bins, used PPE is collected and transported to a recycling facility. There, it is sanitized at high heat, then sorted, shredded, and prepared for melting. The resulting material is turned into polypropylene pellets, which are then repurposed into durable products such as building materials, concrete reinforcement, and textiles.

Measuring results

The material collected during the 2022 pilot diverted over 5,000 gloves, 37kg worth, and masks from the landfill. In 2023, an additional 12,675 pieces or 93.8kg of PPE were diverted by UBCO labs and Food Services. Check back regularly for progress reports on material collected from the program.

Measured outcomes are expected to improve waste diversion, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and generate cost savings.