CPAP masks are a standard medical treatment for some respiratory illnesses and can be used by many patients to recover and health management. They are also made from a commonly used and recyclable material, which is rubber silicone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
CPAP masks are recyclable, both in that they can be donated to patients who need them if they are not too old and in that they can be melted down to produce other silicone products, like adhesives. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
This article will discuss ways of recycling your CPAP mask, including both donations and silicone recycling programs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this post, we'll cover:<\/p>\n
Several major organizations have organized CPAP mask and machine recycling programs, and it is also possible to donate to local healthcare facilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The American Sleep Apnea Association, which has a robust recycling program (The CPAP Assistance Program<\/a>), recommends that all donations at the present moment be made to local clinics, sleep labs, hospitals, or Red Cross chapters for use in fighting COVID-19. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Reggie White Sleep Disorders Research and Education Foundation<\/a> also accepts donated machines, provided that they are not too old or worn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ideally, donated masks and machines should be less than seven years old and come from a smoke-free and pet-free household. Like the American Sleep Apnea Association, some organizations provide a comprehensive list of acceptable machines for donation, including age and amount of usage. Other organizations ask for photos of the equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A mask should also be thoroughly cleaned before being donated, in the same way, that you would perform your daily mask cleaning: with soap and water or with soap and vinegar. Soak the mask in a cleaning solution for 30 minutes, then wipe it clean with warm water and a fuzzy cloth. After that, let the mask air dry until it is dried completely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
CPAP masks and machines can be donated and then resold at a lower price than a new mask or cleaned and then used in a medical setting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
CPAP machines can be used in emergencies to treat patients with mild-to-moderate cases of COVID-19, although ventilators<\/a> are necessary for the most severe cases. This is because CPAP machines can be modified to provide BiPAP therapy<\/a>, which is similar to CPAP therapy but involves two kinds of air pressure: inhalation and one for exhalation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, CPAP machines should only be repurposed for COVID-19 patients in emergencies, when there is a shortage of ventilators. Because they aerosolize<\/a> the virus, they can increase the spread of infections. One nursing home in Washington state saw a spread of COVID-19 likely due to CPAP machines’ use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The most common medical issues treated with the use of a CPAP machine are obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), both of which are serious conditions treated with the same kind of CPAP therapy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
OSA causes patients to repeatedly stop and start breathing throughout the night, which can cause minor symptoms like headaches and sleepiness and major symptoms like depression and heart disease. It gets worse over time unless treated with the use of a CPAP machine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
COPD is also a progressive disease, causing difficulty breathing and chest discomfort that can become quite severe if left untreated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although a prescription is necessary to purchase a CPAP machine, a CPAP mask can be bought and sold by anyone without a doctor’s permission. Selling your old mask, like donating it, can provide more affordable equipment to people who need it and who may not have the insurance necessary to cover the cost of new equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like when you are donating equipment, be sure to check first for signs of wear and tear and avoid selling old or dysfunctional equipment. Be sure to provide photos, information about the model, and specifics about the age and wear. You should also be sure to clean the equipment before selling thoroughly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
CPAP masks are made from hard, rubbery silicone<\/a>, which seals out water and resists damage to its structure. If your mask is too old or worn to be donated, know that its silicone is also useful in many different forms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Depending on what kind of mask you have<\/a>, you may have a full-face silicone piece or a lighter silicone nasal mask, with or without small nasal pillows<\/a> attached for a cushioning effect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Silicone takes centuries to break down, so silicone pieces tend to spend a long time sitting in landfills. This makes silicone safer to use than other plastics, which break down into ingestible microplastics that cause sickness in animals and people. However, it also makes silicone a long term resident of the landfill once it’s thrown away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recycling silicone is possible, even multiple times. Specialized recycling companies collect silicone products and melt them down into an oil to be used in industrial settings or playground mulch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because a CPAP mask is made of silicone, you can remove the straps and cushions, if your mask has them, and then drop them at a specialized recycling<\/a> center that processes silicone rubber. They can then be melted down and reshaped into other solid silicone rubber objects, or more likely, melted into a liquid adhesive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
CPAP masks are reusable by other patients, so long as they are not too old or worn down, and several organizations have specialized programs for CPAP mask and machine donations. They can also be reused as silicone, melted down at specialized recycling facilities to create other products, like industrial adhesives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CPAP masks are a standard medical treatment for some respiratory illnesses and can be used by many patients to recover and health management. They are also made from a commonly<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5202,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[248],"tags":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/safesleepsystems.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Are-CPAP-Masks-Recyclable_.png","acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/safesleepsystems.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5198"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/safesleepsystems.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/safesleepsystems.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/safesleepsystems.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/safesleepsystems.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5198"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/safesleepsystems.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5198\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5984,"href":"https:\/\/safesleepsystems.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5198\/revisions\/5984"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/safesleepsystems.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5202"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/safesleepsystems.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5198"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/safesleepsystems.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5198"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/safesleepsystems.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5198"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}