  Personal protective clothing is critical to shield users from highly
infectious diseases including COVID-19. Such clothing is predominantly
single-use, made of plastic-based synthetic fibres such as polypropylene and
polyester, low cost and able to provide protection against pathogens. However,
the environmental impacts of synthetic fibre-based clothing are significant and
well-documented. Despite growing environmental concerns with single-use
plastic-based protective clothing, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has seen a
significant increase in their use, that could result in a further surge of
oceanic plastic pollution, adding to mass of plastic waste that already
threatens marine life. In this review, we briefly discuss the nature of the raw
materials involved in the production of such clothing, as well as manufacturing
techniques and the PPE supply chain. We identify the environmental impacts at
critical points in the protective clothing value chain from production to
consumption, focusing on water use, chemical pollution, CO2 emissions and
waste. On the basis of these environmental impacts, we outline the need for
fundamental changes in the business model, including increased usage of
reusable protective clothing, addressing supply chain bottlenecks, establishing
better waste management, and the use of sustainable materials and processes
without associated environmental problems.
