Expired masks, gowns and gloves ordered for use during the Covid pandemic will be turned into fuel, wood chips or decking. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
Mountains of expired Covid-19 supplies of personal protective equipment and rapid antigen tests are about to be processed into alternative fuels or recycled.
Health New Zealand said Enviro New Zealand had been contracted to manage the disposal of about 51 million individual masks, gowns, gloves and other items, starting later this month.
National Public Health Service director Dr Nick Chamberlain said about 65 percent would be turned into fuel, used to make wood chips for gardens and playgrounds or recycled as slip sheets or decking.
"We're talking about 8000 pallets, 51 million individual items, significant surplus stock.
"Every jurisdiction in the world is encountering this and looking at solutions for disposal of its excess and expired supply."
Enviro NZ was using the majority of expired supplies to co-process alongside wood waste and tyres to create a fuel to substitute for coal.
The cement manufacturer Golden Bay would then use it to make cement clinker.
Remaining expired supplies would go through a dual process, starting with packaging from RATs and PPE stocks to be recycled, with storage pallets re-used, shredded into coloured garden/playground decorative wood chip, or shredded and used as a biofuel.
Packaging from RATs will be recycled. Photo: 123rf.com
Plastic materials would be on-sold for further processing into slip sheets, plastic decking or similar.
"Enviro NZ, who has a track record in sustainable landfill management, will then take remaining waste and dispose of it responsibly to reduce the environmental impact," Chamberlain said.
"The local facility is operated safely and sustainably to ensure the surrounding land, air and water is protected."
The whole process was expected to take four months.
The cost of the contract was commercially sensitive, but it represented "value for money" and was within the budget set aside in the Covid funding, Chamberlain said.
"We had 16 different options put forward by seven different companies, so it was a very competitive tendering process."
Being left with surplus or expired stock was always going to be one of the risks that came with needing to purchase large volumes to meet "unpredictable and significant fluctuations in demand and logistics as the pandemic progressed and was then brought under control".
"New Zealand is at the end of very long supply chains, and we couldn't risk not having enough protection for our people."
Health New Zealand continued to maintain a reserve of 12 weeks' worth of PPE in case of future pandemics, Chamberlain said.
"We don't know when that's going to happen, but we need to be prepared."