Leading waste company Renewi has donated 2,000 surgical masks for use in care homes across east London.

Renewi’s Municipal Division works alongside the East London Waste Authority (ELWA) in four London boroughs – Barking & Dagenham, Havering, Newham and Redbridge – managing and recycling waste collected from households and from care homes in the vicinity.

But it is now delivering masks as well.

The company used its capability to give new life to used materials by partnering with a Dutch-headquartered Van Straten Medical and GreenCycl to recycle masks.

Kevin Bell, from Renewi’s Municipal Division, said: “By donating these surgical masks, we hope to make a contribution to the health and safety of key workers providing essential support to this group as well as the residents of the care homes themselves.”