Environmental up-cycling Workshop by CHEUNG, Kit Fung [Student] https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp Workshop submission en-us 2022-04-03 01:26:49 UTC 2026-02-24 12:03:13 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f3eb.png ChanTaiMan kitfungcheung https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2126832312 On Padlet, remember to type your name and on the subject like： ChanTaiMan 
Due day on 8 April 2022, 23:59

Also remember to fill the questionnaire for us thankyou so much

]]> 2022-04-03 01:28:17 UTC https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2126832312 Zhai Yanjie 21118489R https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2134492871 Environmental protection is the practice of protecting the natural environment by individuals, organizations and governments.  Its objectives are to conserve natural resources and the existing natural environment and, where possible, to repair damage and reverse trends. For every individual, less electricity, collection of bottles and may be just more walk means a lot to our environment. Do as you can.]]> 2022-04-07 12:37:23 UTC https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2134492871 ZHOU XIN https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2134516653 I think RAT kits waste can not be recycled properly by us since they are classified as medical waste. But I think the community can set up some collection bins for certain regions. When you are ready to dispose of your RAT, place the test and any other contaminated material such as swabs, fluids, rubber gloves, and bottles into a plastic bag; Then seal the bag, and put them into the collection bin. Do not tip any liquids down drains or flush down the toilet. Finally, the collection bin can be delivered to a professional institute for disposal.]]> 2022-04-07 12:51:15 UTC https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2134516653 Janibek Jurabekov https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2134517084 I think it is really hard to recycle covid tests due to health hazard issues. Even negative tests can be false negative and contain infectious virus. I think instead we can minimize waste through changing packaging itself. Instead of printing long instructions on how to conduct rapid antigen tests, we can illustrate those steps on the box itself. Additionally, we can put QR code that links to the video on how to perform RAT. This video can also include how to dispose of it safely. I think it will be more effective because some people prefer to watch videos rather than read texts. It will also make boxes smaller. Thus saving materials needed to produce it. 


]]> 2022-04-07 12:51:30 UTC https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2134517084 LING Jia https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2134539081 I think it is hard to recycle RAT kits. Because the kits may contain the Covid-19 virus. If they are disposed of as waste, it could expose the virus to the environment and the people who deal with the waste. Therefore, I think some authorities and research institutions should take the leading role and think of how to dispose of these waste safely and environmental-friendly. Also, the environment department should clarify which kind of waste used RAT kits belong to and provide the public with the proper disposal procedures for them. And for us, individuals, we should wrap and seal all components of the test kit carefully and dispose properly. In this way we can do something help to our homeland, the Earth. ]]> 2022-04-07 13:04:16 UTC https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2134539081 ZHANG YIANG https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2134543610 I think the packages can be recycled but the RAT kits should not. Many people are now using the rapid antigen test (RAT) kits, however, the disposed of used RAT kits might not be disposed properly and probably throw away together with household trash. The RAT kits should be disposed of at authorized disposal sites because they contain biological materials. Also, the certain chemicals included in these test kits could be hazardous. The used items from each test should be put in the small plastic bag that comes with the pack. And then go straight into your normal rubbish bin.]]> 2022-04-07 13:06:42 UTC https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2134543610 Miguel Vera Cruz https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2134595410 RAT kits are difficult to recycle due to their hazardous nature. The possibility of exposing oneself to viruses and other harmful microorganisms during the recycling process is enough reason to avoid contact with a used test kit. However, the contents of the test kit can be segregated, such as the cardboard box, the paper manual, and the vial containing liquid. At the same time, the contents of the RAT kits can be redesigned to be more environmentally friendly. For example, the lengthy paper manual can be reduced to a visual diagram of the step-by-step procedure of the test-taking process, while other information could be accessed through a QR code. Despite these efforts, the waste generated from RAT kits is still a significant number, so it is vital to use them only when necessary.]]> 2022-04-07 13:33:29 UTC https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2134595410 WANG Pengbo 21039441r https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2134607300 Thanks to the low price and high quantity in market, RAT kits really help us a lot in fast testing whether we are positive or not in terms of the Covid-19 virus, though to some extent, the accuracy rate is not technologically 100%. However, a problem is emerging more and more apparently with the wide use of the RAT kits, specifically, the huge amount of the kits waste, which is really impacting our environment and immediately making us to consider how to deal with the kits safely and efficiently.
 
Well from my point of view, as the kits belongs to the medical things and the waste usually holds the infectious things from the users who maybe are positive, indicating that to avoid infectious events, the waste should not be mixed with the normal daily garbage, instead should be given a special treatment. For example, we can collect them in a plastic bag and seal the bag well following with bringing it to a recycling point where a company of dealing with biological waste would come every day and collect them away and then give a professional treatment regularly. 
 
 
]]> 2022-04-07 13:39:37 UTC https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2134607300 ZHANG Fan https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2134621854 RAT kits have been widely used to povide a quick resopnse for the users with Covid-19 virus or not. Whether the result is positive or negative, the used items from each test – including the testing strip, swab and extraction tube – should be put in the small plastic bag that comes with the pack. The RAT kits are mainly made of plastic and polymer materials which are hard to degrade with normal speed. Do not put them into recycling as they cannot be recycled through conventional recycling facilities. we do not need to put them in an extra bag or store them before throwing them away.Some tests contain tiny amounts of the highly toxic chemical sodium azide, which is risk-free for humans but not animals. It will be much better to sent thewasted RAT kits to the incineration plant to generate electricity. Therefore, we can reduce the effect of used test kits as much as possible.]]> 2022-04-07 13:46:43 UTC https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2134621854 YU Zhenlu 21040852R https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2134724299 From my point of view, RAT kits cannot be recycled easily and cannot be throwed as the daily family trash. Although the RAT kits help us know test results within few minutes, the mechanism of such rapid test determines that the accuracy of these results is not 100%. Only those who carries a quantity of virus can be detected as the positives. However, it cannot be confirmed that all the negatives from RAT kits don't carry the virus. So these kits cannot be throwed directly in the garbage can. To ensure the used kits safe and unaffective, some disinfection might be taken like spraying the 75% alcohol on the kits. ]]> 2022-04-07 14:36:46 UTC https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2134724299 AARON Aurelius https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2134778155 The decision whether we are able to recycle the RAT kits should be taken in a detail manner. Specifically, we first need to specify the components of RAT kits, such as: (1) Disposable Nasal Swab, (2) Foil Pouch, (3) Buffer Tube, (4) Dropper Tip, and (5) Snap Lock Bag.

My guess is that the disposable process of each component of RAT kits could not be treated in the same way. For example, The snap lock bag is of course easier and safer to be disposed compared to the disposable nasal swab, which might contain the Covid-19 virus or any other bacteria. Simply stated, some components are considered to be a bio waste or hazardous waste, while the other components might be common waste. Component separation of RAT kits might be one plausible alternative.



]]> 2022-04-07 15:04:38 UTC https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2134778155 Mengjie KONG 20114035R https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2134950436 Rapid Antigen Tests have quickly gone from obscure medical device to household item in a matter of weeks. Now that case numbers in certain states appear to be on the decline, pushing demand for the tests down from their fever pitch highs at the start of the year, more of us are actually able to get our hands on them.
Despite being made of recyclable material, they have to go into regular household waste. This means the swab, the fluid tubes, and the cassette. They should be bagged and put in the bin along with other non-recyclable items. Currently, no country in the world recycles them: It’s a sad fact, but not one that should put you off using the tests to check if you have COVID.


]]> 2022-04-07 16:40:21 UTC https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2134950436 HE Hui https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2135750977 With the changing testing regulations here in Hongkong, the demand for RAT (Rapid Antigen Tests) is through the roof! While testing at home is providing much more convenience and safety for close contacts, the plastic testing kits are creating waste concerns of their own. So How to Recycle Rapid Antigen Test Kits, I would like to show my points.

(1) The Kit Box. Just like you guessed, the box your testing kit comes in is ok for the recycling bin!  We already know that cardboard and paper materials can be collected in your kerbside recycling bin and since the box won’t encounter any used medical materials, it’s safe for the workers at the recycling plant to sort through. (2). Quick Reference Guide and Instruction Manual. Just like the box, all these paper materials are safe to recycle! Although some manuals or guides will have a glossy finish, the paper is recyclable and can go to the plant to be sorted into the correct treatments! (3) Disposable Nasal Swab. As you already know, this swab is strictly sole use. Unfortunately, because the swab has been introduced to your nostril, it is now considered biowaste or hazardous waste. (4) Buffer Tube, Rapid Test Cassette, and Dropper Tip. All these pieces are made from plastic that most of us would deem recyclable. Unfortunately, just like the nasal swab, each of these pieces is considered medical waste due to the introduction of human material. (5) Snap Lock Bag. We know what you’re thinking - this bag is soft plastic; therefore, it can go into your soft plastics collection for Recycle! While this is true, the purpose of this bag is to seal all those pieces of medical waste into one secure bag to reduce contamination and contain those hazardous materials when they hit the landfill. ]]> 2022-04-08 03:49:14 UTC https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2135750977 Chow Hiu Tung 20055558D https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2135841992 The whole package of RAT kit consists of several components, in which some can be recycled while some are not. For all devices which have direct contact with body fluid or its solution, they are considered as potentially infectious and biohazard. Even they don’t contain COVID virus, they may have other bacteria and microorganisms that reside on our mucosal layer. Therefore, those devices, including the test device, where the test solution is applied on, must not be put in recycle boxes. They are considered as medical waste and the safest way for disposal is perform autoclaving before putting them in a red clinical waste bag. The easier way is put them in the disposal bag appended in the RAT package, and zip the bag tightly before throwing into domestic garbage bag.  For other components in the RAT kits, including the paper user manual and other packaging, can be put in recycle boxes, if they are not contaminated during the testing procedures.]]> 2022-04-08 05:30:47 UTC https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2135841992 HE Ping https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2135862956 Many people maybe think that RAT can be recycled because the major component of it is plastic. However, as a type of medical waste, currently RAT cannot be recycled. If we throw the RATs into the general recycling bin, it is possible to contaminate the rest of the recyclable items, which lays danger of accelerating the spread of COVID-19. 

To solve this problem, one possible solution is to take the RATs directly to a facility that could remove the internal test strip, crush the plastic, and turn it into something useful. In this process, the suppliers, especially the retailers are supposed to take a leading role. Besides, the communities should coordinate and take relevant responsibilities.

Therefore, to safely dispose of the RATs, they can only be put into the general household waste bin. Used RATs may only be disposed of in general waste bin, they must not be placed in recycling bins.]]> 2022-04-08 05:56:42 UTC https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2135862956 Shariar ISLAM https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2135933273 RAT test has become the most convenient way to detect primarily covid patient as it is easily accessible and can be done by anyone in their own setting. However the waste produced is a big concern as irresponsible disposal of RAT might result in severe consequences.
First of all, we need to spread awareness about the correct way to dispose RAT kit after test .
The Rat kit of person who resulted in positive should not be disposed and keep the test kit until further notice by the relevant authority.
If the person test negative , dispose the rat kit properly for the authority to collect.
The disposed kit should go under a number of process to kill the presence of any possible virus.
All the rat kit collected should be soaked into disinfectant followed by passing it into high temperature system to kill any virus . 
Once the kits are ready they should be transferred to recycling center where they can recycle and make new product.

]]> 2022-04-08 07:10:31 UTC https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2135933273 MA Yuxiao 21119433r https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2135957390 There are so many RAT kits waste nowadays, this problem needs to be solved, while it is not easy to find a solution. If the RAT kits are used, they belong to medical waste, the best way to deal with them is to destroy them. I think the best way to dispose them is collect them together and burn them, or bury them in the soil, I’m not sure whether it is possible to make them into new products after replastic them by high temperature. While some RAT kits are still new, since they are also made by plastic, I believe we can deal with them using the same way dealing with plastic bottles. We can collect them together and recycle them, made them into new products. Another idea is that, for they are not very big, people can consider made them into some artwork, like put them together like a jigsaw puzzle to make a picture. Maybe schools should hold competitions about how to reuse the RAT kits. While, I think the companies should also do market research, consider not to make less RAT kits in the future. ]]> 2022-04-08 07:26:51 UTC https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2135957390 CHAN Oi Lam 18036133D https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2136070596 There are several materials made of a RAT kit and they are not all recyclable.

First of all, if the kit box is made of paper, it can be put into the blue recycle box. Any labels or plastic film coat of the box package must be removed otherwise the whole box won’t be recycled. The instruction paper is also recyclable.

Secondly, for the plastic dropper tip, the nasal swab and cassette, once the RAT test is finished, as they belong to clinical waste, all of them should be bagged using the plastic bag with yellow warning label ‘biohazard’ and zip properly, then dump into the rubbish bin.


]]> 2022-04-08 09:21:10 UTC https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2136070596 ZOUYiying https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2136155512 Trying to recycle the RAT kits is a good idea in this pandemic situation. With the popular of using the RAT kits to test whether he or she is infected, more and more kits have been widely used. Usually, one set of the RAT test kit including a swab, a test cassette and an extraction buffer tube, most of them are made in plastic. When talking about the recycle of the test kit, there are two things came up to my mind. For one thing, whether the used kit, carring fluid sample, will have the transmission risk? Fortunately, it seems that the virus sample size need to accumulated to a certain quality before there is a risk of transmission. We can throw it as the normal rubbish after used, but still need to hold it in a bag help to better dispose it. For another, whether the cost of recycle will be higher than just throw them? Do the action of recycle the RAT kits is valuable?  Not all kinds of plastic can be recycled, the material of test kit could not be recycled, according to the instruction. I think it may not feasible to recycle the test kit. However, why not to use some degradable material to make the test kit?]]> 2022-04-08 10:57:51 UTC https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2136155512 YU Lingke 20074605D yuandrew022 https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2136192857 Each RAT kit contains an assay, a swab, a vial, and a number of micropackages. Some kits also come with other small containers. People hope to use medical testing equipment to protect people from the impact of the epidemic, but this also generates a lot of medical waste, and Hong Kong has a lot of waste every year. Qualified businesses can dispose of used kits through a dedicated facility for infectious waste, or people can put the kits in airtight bags and discard them in general garbage. I think people can seal up used RAT kits in plastic bags and put them in general waste, which goes to general landfills instead of manual recycling. RAT kits are an important means of responding to the epidemic, but the design companies of the kits should consider their hazards to the environment and health, and try to consider these issues in the design and manufacturing procedures.]]> 2022-04-08 11:39:09 UTC https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2136192857 YU Qing https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2136317539 RAT kits cannot be recycled. The swab, buffer tube and cassette must all go in the rubbish — they can't be recycled. Anything contaminated with biological material, including blood, urine or feces, can carry infectious or infectious agents. Therefore it cannot be recycled under any circumstances. While the likelihood that RATs are actually contagious is very low, we cannot take this opportunity in a recycling environment. We need to put the used kit in a sealed plastic bag before putting it in with the waste. However, any instructions on the RAT's cardboard packaging material and paper included in the kit can be recycled.

]]> 2022-04-08 13:17:51 UTC https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2136317539 Xu yujia_21041674r https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2136533441 Some kits materials can be recycled. Like, the paperwork and the cardboard packaging would be fine to go in the recycling. But the swab, the buffer tube and the cassette itself shouldn't be put into recycling due to the possibility of virus. Anyway, staying safe is always a top priority during the pandemic.]]> 2022-04-08 15:30:30 UTC https://padlet.com/kitfungcheung/7gle93azlv82divp/wish/2136533441