Life cycle environmental impact and economic assessment of British Wool face masks

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is the comparison of the environmental performance between a reusable face mask, made from British Wool, a single-use conventional mask, made of polypropylene (PP), and a reusable cotton mask, using Life Cycle Assessment. The analysis revealed that although one woollen mask has higher environmental impact than a single-use PP mask, its reusable nature makes it more environmentally friendly in the long term. Over the period of one year, the carbon footprint of the woollen face mask use is approximately 46% lower than the use of a conventional single-use PP mask, whereas the water depletion is approximately 28% lower. The production cost of one woollen face mask with an active filtration layer is £0.89 and the annual expenses for an individual are estimated to be 54% lower compared to the daily purchase and use of conventional PP masks. Looking forward to a potential scaled up production of the woollen face masks, the most critical parameters that need to be considered in terms of the environmental impact are the metal component used in the active layer and the wool, whereas for the cost the most significant factor is the energy used for steam and hot water production. • A reusable face mask has been developed from low quality coarse wool. • The carbon footprint of the woollen mask is 46% lower than a single-use one. • The water depletion indicator of the woollen mask is 28% lower than a single-use one. • The cost of the woollen mask is estimated to be £0.89 per mask. • The most critical parameters for environmental impact are the metal used and the wool.