PPE expiry dates and waste

Hi everyone,

I was recently alerted (as the office eco warrior) by our Infection Prevention and Control Lead that a bunch of our unused single-use PPE items (mainly visors) had gone 'out of date'. This was mentioned in an off-hand, 'annoying but what are you going to do' kind of way, but there was no chance I was going to let them all go in an incinerator. 

We know the damage that single-use plastics can cause, but it is even more frustrating to think of single-use items not even being used before being disposed of. 

So I did some asking around, and it turned out that there were multiple local charities who were keen to make use of our 'out of date' PPE. 

In March this year it was estimated that there were 1.5 billion PPE items in England which had expired. Obviously, me giving 200 visors to charities willing to use them in non-healthcare settings is just a drop in the ocean, but goes to show that there are options beyond incineration for these items, at least allowing them to be used for their intended purpose before disposal. 

So I'd urge anyone in the same position to get creative about expired PPE! Has anyone else done similar? It would be wonderful to compile a list of organisations to contact.