Kickstart: Shields may be the preferred PPE this fall

Within weeks — if not days — of the coronavirus spreading globally, the plastics industry shifted into high gear to devote portions of its production to make face shields.

Shields are made with clear film completely covering the face and a headband that can be produced using injection molding, foam or 3D printers. Everyone from small injection mold toolmakers to global automakers found they could contribute to helping protect front-line workers by making shields.

Now studies suggest shields may be adopted beyond hospitals and medical offices. One opinion piece in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggested shields may be better than cloth masks for protecting people from the virus.

"Cloth masks have been shown to be less effective than medical masks for prevention of communicable respiratory illnesses, although in vitro testing suggests that cloth masks provide some filtration of virus-sized aerosol particles. Face shields may provide a better option," Eli Perencevich, a professor of internal medicine and epidemiology at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, and two of his colleagues, wrote.

That's an idea gaining traction elsewhere. Last week, AARP wrote about the value of a shield compared to a mask and included DIY instructions on making one out of a soda bottle.

In San Diego, the girl's school Academy of Our Lady of Peace has said it will have its 750 students return to classes with shields, rather than masks, later this year.

So companies that geared up shield protection originally focused on medical workers, like Wisconsin's Plastic Parts Inc., may be catering to a new consumer group soon.

A new study out of Florida points to something that others, including Editor Don Loepp, have already noted. Contamination of the recycling stream happens a lot, which complicates every effort to improve recycling statistics.

The Florida Recycling Partnership Foundation reported June 23 that the rate of contamination in the recycling stream sent to materials recovery facilities averages about 25 percent. That means MRFs have to remove a quarter of the items on arrival to get to the bottles, papers and other materials that they can recycle.

"Our goal, as a foundation, is to increase participation in recycling the right things and reducing the use of recycling bins for things that belong in a garbage can," said Kim Brunson, chair of the recycling foundation.

Some of the blame may be at the hands of brand owners, whose "I'm recyclable" labels may be more aspirational than reality-based.

"Labels and claims about recyclability need to be updated to reflect actual conditions," Don wrote in this week's Plastics News Viewpoint. "It isn't enough to say that, theoretically, a product or package could be recycled. Especially not now, with brand owners making high-profile promises to make all of their products recyclable within a few years."

A summer without camp is hard. There's the long days without any focus, no organized sports or swims to channel all that extra energy into, an overloaded WiFi that interrupts your gaming and of course a refrigerator full of food that you aren't allowed to eat. And that's just for parents. Imagine what it's like for kids.

Well, rotomolding toymaker Little Tikes is here for you — parents and kids alike — with "Camp Play@Home," a virtual camp with activities and suggestions for the whole family for the "Best! Summer! Ever!" (The exclamation points are implied.)

There are arts and crafts, an "eco master" for sustainability lessons and an "activities pro." And while Little Tikes toys show up in the virtual camp, activities aren't solely based on the items the Ohio-based company produces.

"We're not sure what we're going to do with our lives," Camp Director Chet sings about the best summer ever, adding, "if your kids make a mess you can blame it on me."