Disposable Masks
Recyclable?
Blue Bins & Chutes
Other Recycling
Recommended
Freecycle / Give Away
Unused masks only.
A lot of people are giving away unused masks through freecycling channels. This includes masks that are past their expiry date.
ALWAYS let people know if the masks you are giving away have expired. Expired masks are still protective but may not offer the same level of protection as when they are new (see below).
Olio
Carousell
GoodHood
Sharetings (discontinued)
Online Freecycle Groups
Alternative
Trash
Masks should be placed safely in the trash.
Unfortunately, although some components of masks consist of recyclable plastic, they cannot be recycled along with other plastics and there are no PPE recycling programmes in Singapore.
Please take care when throwing out your old mask. There is a shocking number of masks that end up as litter and this is both unhygienic and damaging to the environment.
General Waste
Info & Insights
Why Do Masks Have Expiration Dates?
A mask’s effectiveness depends on having a good fit. Over time, it is possible for the elastic bands and nose pieces to start to degrade. If the straps and other structural pieces are degraded, the masks will fit less well.
What about filtration? Research has indicated that the filtration effectiveness of expired masks is not much different than new masks. One study found less than a 1% difference in effectiveness between 10-year-old expired N95 masks and brand new masks.
Bottom line: poor mask performance is far more likely to result from wearing a mask improperly than from the fact that the expiry date has passed.
Unfortunately, living in the tropics means that rubber straps will deteriorate much faster than in cooler climates.
So if the rubber band on your masks has lost its elasticity, it will not fit properly and you should throw it out.
