  Citation: Skrzyniarz, M.; Sajdak, M.; Zajemska, M.; Iwaszko, J.; Biniek-Poskart, A.; Skibi ´ nski, A.; Morel, S.; Niegodajew, P. Plastic Waste Management towards Energy Recovery during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Example of Protective Face Mask Pyrolysis. Energies 2022, 15, 2629. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/en15072629 Academic Editor: Javier Fermoso Received: 4 March 2022 Accepted: 31 March 2022 Published: 3 April 2022 Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affil- iations. Copyright: © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). energies Article Plastic Waste Management towards Energy Recovery during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Example of Protective Face Mask Pyrolysis Magdalena Skrzyniarz 1 , Marcin Sajdak 2 , Monika Zajemska 1 ,Józef Iwaszko 1 , Anna Biniek-Poskart 3 , Andrzej Skibi ´ nski 3 , Slawomir Morel 1 and Pawel Niegodajew 4, * 1 Faculty of Production Engineering and Materials Technology, Czestochowa University of Technology, 19 Armii Krajowej Avenue, 42-200 Czestochowa, Poland; magdalena.skrzyniarz@pcz.pl (M.S.); monika.zajemska@pcz.pl (M.Z.); jozef.iwaszko@pcz.pl (J.I.); slawomir.morel@pcz.pl (S.M.) 2 Department of Air Protection, Faculty of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, 22 B Konarskiego Avenue, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland; marcin.sajdak@polsl.pl 3 Faculty of Management, Czestochowa University of Technology, 19 B Armii Krajowej Avenue, 42-200 Czestochowa, Poland; anna.poskart@pcz.pl (A.B.-P.); andrzej.skibinski@pcz.pl (A.S.) 4 Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science, Czestochowa University of Technology, 21 Armii Krajowej Avenue, 42-200 Czestochowa, Poland * Correspondence: pawel.niegodajew@pcz.pl; Tel.: +48-34-32-50-537 Abstract: This paper presents an assessment of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the waste management sector, and then, based on laboratory tests and computer calculations, indicates how to effectively manage selected waste generated during the pandemic. Elemental compositions—namely, C, H, N, S, Cl, and O—were determined as part of the laboratory tests, and the pyrolysis processes of the above wastes were analysed using the TGA technique. The calculations were performed for a pilot pyrolysis reactor with a continuous flow of 240 kg/h in the temperature range of 400–900 ◦ C. The implemented calculation model was experimentally verified for the conditions of the refuse- derived fuel (RDF) pyrolysis process. As a result of the laboratory tests and computer simulations, comprehensive knowledge was obtained about the pyrolysis of protective masks, with particular emphasis on the gaseous products of this process. The high calorific value of the pyrolysis gas, amounting to approx. 47.7 MJ/m 3 , encourages the management of plastic waste towards energy recovery. The proposed approach may be helpful in the initial assessment of the possibility of using energy from waste, depending on its elemental composition, as well as in the assessment of the environmental effects. Keywords: plastic waste; waste management; pyrolysis; thermal conversion; protective mask 1. Introduction The appearance and rapid spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus have caused an intensive increase in the demand for personal protective equipment, especially face masks, due to the obligation to wear them in public spaces [1]. The production of disposable food packaging has also significantly risen during the pandemic [2]. Quarantine, isolation, and the fear of a personal visit to the store have caused an increase in online sales of food, as well as other products necessary in everyday life [3,4]. For practical and hygienic reasons, many of these items are packed in disposable plastic packaging [5,6]. The necessity to ship the ordered products involves the use of cardboard boxes, packaging, cling film, bubble wrap, etc. to safely deliver the ordered products [7]. In addition, shoppers are encouraged to wear disposable gloves and to pack all fresh produce separately in plastic bags when shopping in stationery stores [8,9]. The consequence of this state of affairs is, unfortunately, an enormous increase in the amount of plastic waste, which, as of 22 November 2020, in the 25 countries with the highest incidence of COVID-19, reached approximately 54,000 tons [10]. This Energies 2022, 15, 2629. https://doi.org/10.3390/en15072629 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/energies