Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the world has unfortunately seen the exponential rise of single-use plastics and disposable Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for safety. To tackle both the infectious disease and waste issue, Royal College of Art graduate and bio-fabricator Alice Potts has created face shields made of food waste and dyed with flowers from local parks.
The inspiration for the face shields named Dance Biodegradable Personal Protective Equipment (DBPPE) came about in the early days of the coronavirus outbreak when Potts’ paramedic brother informed her of the alarming news that he had no access to PPE and was resorting to wearing bin liners for a mask.
“I began creating the masks firstly in response to the stories of lack of PPE from my brother who is a paramedic and volunteers in care homes, before tackling the sustainability side of single-use plastic,” Potts explains. “I think I speak for us all that at the beginning of the pandemic it was hard seeing someone who you knew or loved working and struggling through the crisis.”
Composed of a 3D-printed top section fitted with a biodegradable, bioplastic shield, Potts says that she plans to release the design and bioplastic formula so that everyone can create their own DBPPE.
“I want to combine the advantages of technology with sustainability to form a template of the top of a face shield that can be 3D printed from recycled plastic with a bioplastic recipe for the shield for people to make at home,” she said.
All images in this article are courtesy of James Stopforth.
