UK plans to burn billions in wasted pandemic protective gear

LONDON (AP) — The British government plans to burn billions of dollars in unusable protective equipment purchased during the coronavirus pandemic. It says the move will generate power. A public spending watchdog says 4 billion pounds ($5 billion) worth of PPE bought by the government has to be dumped because it is defective or does not meet U.K. standards. The Public Accounts Committee says overall the government lost 75% of the 12 billion pounds it spent on PPE in the first year of the pandemic to inflated prices and faulty kit. It says the saga is “the most shameful episode in the U.K. government response to the pandemic.” It also notes that “the costs and environmental impact” of burning the equipment is unclear.