This project is to develop UK manufactured reusable sterile polymer material for use in protective equipment including aprons, gowns, surgical drapes, bed and trolley drapes and mask headbands and diaphragms.

The Covid-19 outbreak has highlighted the opportunity to improve the approach to protective equipment and materials used in the UK healthcare and other sectors. Current PPE and protective materials are largely single use plastic products sourced from geographically remote locations with long supply chains and competitive demands. The result has been significant challenges to obtain large quantities of protective equipment over a prolonged period of time with associated environmental impacts from shipping and disposal.

The superior physical properties of the material will enable it to be re-sterilised and reused. This will reduce the total volume of protective equipment required to service the needs of the UK's and other countries health services. Reuse of equipment, coupled with UK manufacture, will result in waste and total carbon footprint should reducing significantly in line with the Government's aim to be carbon neutral and to have zero avoidable waste by 2050 . At the same time a strategic source of material in the UK will be developed underpinning a unique manufacturing facility located within a coalfield regenerated area.

The project extension will build on the success of the initial project in developing UK manufactured multicycle sterile polyisoprene sheet to accelerate the process of bringing the first medical devices made from this material to market to assist in the pandemic response.
The first devices have projected benefits for patient care, supply chain security, carbon emissions and plastic waste whilst helping to safeguard UK employment. These are truly innovative developments that, through the project extension, can be available in the UK market in 2021 and sold globally through established relationships with some of the largest international healthcare companies.