The environmental impact of masks
With more than 1.5 billion face masks polluting oceans in 2020, many single-use masks end up on sidewalks or in gutters, where they can be a source of contamination and pollution. The situation is denounced by environmental advocates and elected officials, while scientists are looking for recycling solutions.
The photos spread over social media, posted by those who denounce uncivil acts: single-use masks abandoned in gutters, on sidewalks, in the forest, even hung on bollards or floating on water... The Covid-19 has also led to a new form of pollution linked to this protective equipment, which some users get rid of by simply throwing it on the ground.
Materials derived from oil
This type of behavior poses a risk of coronavirus contamination for those who would pick up this waste, first and foremost cleaners and children, but also those who might step on it. These disposable and discarded face masks are also a danger to the environment. Because their lightness should not make us forget that they are partly made of plastic, therefore of petroleum derivatives, such as non-woven propylene.
In the end, this waste could end up in the sea, degraded in the form of invisible microparticles ingested by fish. To alert the planet on this subject, the environmental association Ocean Asia posted a photo of one of its leaders in March showing a real skewer of masks collected on a beach on the Soko Islands off the coast of Hong Kong.
In addition, the masks thrown into the gutters "clog the wastewater pipes and disrupt the wastewater treatment systems," the Water Information Center, an organization created on the initiative of the professionals who manage public water and wastewater services in the US, recalled in a press release.
Awareness and action
Let's understand that masks thrown on the ground are not only visual pollution. They represent, by their number, a real danger in the short and long term for ecosystems. There is only one current destination for this waste: the garbage can. The real solution to protect yourself and the environment is to wear a reusable masks, made from high quality material that can be washed multiple times without being damaged, for example a Ryst Mask.