Masks are a new environmental threat

Millions of masks are being thrown away every minute and all I ask is can we please not throw them in the environment! Every day I see an abudance of masks just lying there on the ground, some just metres away from a trashcan. It\’s disgusting that some people throw their used masks to hedges, pavements and even leave them in shopping trolleys or a bus.

Most of the face masks are made from plastic microfibers and aren\’t biogradable (may fragment into smaller plastic particles) and throwing them in nature can lead to a whole new plastic issue. Masks can end up in freshwater systems and oceans and persist in the environment for up to hundreds of years. Surfers Against Sewage said they have witnessed an \’\’explosion\’\’ of discarded masks and plastics on beaches and in rivers. According to a report published by OceansAsia nearly 1,56 billion masks entered the ocean in 2020. On top of the environment, the animals are suffering as well. Some marine animals can\’t see the difference between plastic items and prey and they can end up chocking on pieces of plastic or malnurished as the material fill up their stomachs. It\’s estimated that 100,000 marine mammals and turtles, over a million seabirds and a greater number of fish, invertebrates and other marine life die from plastic pollution annually. And it\’s not only marine animals that suffer. Dogs, birds or any animals can choke on those masks and small animals can get tangled in them.

There\’s also a potential biohazard – not disposing them properly you are creating a risk of re-spreading the virus. In certain conditions the virus can survive in plastic for seven days according to some scientists.

I don\’t think there is any guidance on recycling masks so people dispose it like solid waste. Animal rescue workers suggest cutting the elastic ear straps before throwing them away to prevent animals from getting tangled. Masks will still end up in landfills or being incinerated, which produces toxic fumes but that\’s still better than in nature.

I believe we don\’t want to make things worse for the environment and the animals so I suggest using a reusable mask and washing it in machine wash. Or if you use single-use masks take them home and put them in the bin there or in a public bin if there\’s a lid on it.