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A Sustainable Approach towards Disposable Face Mask Production Amidst Pandemic Outbreaks

Author

Listed:
  • Salman Alfarisi

    (Department of System Design, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo 191-0065, Japan)

  • Mar’atus Sholihah

    (Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Surabaya 60111, Indonesia)

  • Yuya Mitake

    (Department of System Design, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo 191-0065, Japan)

  • Yusuke Tsutsui

    (Department of System Design, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo 191-0065, Japan)

  • Hanfei Wang

    (Department of System Design, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo 191-0065, Japan)

  • Yoshiki Shimomura

    (Department of System Design, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo 191-0065, Japan)

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 has become a global pandemic, causing many disruptions in multiple sectors. The World Health Organization has urged the public to wear face masks as part of the countermeasure. As the demand for face masks increased, research on the environmental sustainability of face masks production started to emerge. However, the scope of the prior studies is limited to environmental impacts during the manufacturing process. Broadening the research scope is critical to acquire a comprehensive environmental impact analysis. Therefore, this study investigates the life cycle impact assessment of disposable face mask production, from raw material extraction to the point of sale, by adopting the life cycle assessment method. Disposable face masks are assessed for a single person, over one functional unit (FU) of 30 12-h days. The ReCiPe approach was used with a Hierarchist perspective. The results reveal that disposable face mask manufacture contributes significantly to enormous environmental impact categories. As a solution, this study proposes a reconfiguration of the manufacturing process, by altering the design and material proportion of the earloop to minimise the environmental impact. The investigation indicates that the proposed design might decrease the global warming contribution, from 1.82593 kg CO 2 eq. to 1.69948 kg CO 2 eq.

Suggested Citation

  • Salman Alfarisi & Mar’atus Sholihah & Yuya Mitake & Yusuke Tsutsui & Hanfei Wang & Yoshiki Shimomura, 2022. "A Sustainable Approach towards Disposable Face Mask Production Amidst Pandemic Outbreaks," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-16, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:7:p:3849-:d:778838
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Meng Gao & Ke Ma & Renke He & Carlo Vezzoli & Nuo Li, 2023. "A Bibliometric Analysis of Sustainable Product Design Methods from 1999 to 2022: Trends, Progress, and Disparities between China and the Rest of the World," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-24, August.
    2. Rahaf Ajaj & Suzan Shahin & Haruna Moda & Shafeeq Ahmed Syed Ali, 2023. "Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Face Mask Use among University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-13, February.

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