The unfortunate truth to using disposable face masks in the midst of a global pandemic is that they end up in our streets, beaches, and oceans, and negatively impact our wildlife. Wearing a face mask is crucial in order to decrease COVID-19 cases, and consequently there has been an immense increase in synthetic PPE (personal protective equipment) waste since the start of the pandemic. Fortunately, there are a few simple ways to reduce face mask litter while still being conscientious about not spreading the virus.
Every month, there are an estimated 200 billion synthetic face masks and gloves being disposed of, and an overwhelming amount of this waste ends up in our oceans and wildlife. Gary Stokes, a member of OceansAsia found that within 100 meters, 70 masks had washed up on an “uninhabited island in the middle of nowhere”, and a week later, 30 more face masks had appeared. There are similar concerns about the increase in PPE waste worldwide, including a French non-profit organization “Operation Mer Propre” (Operation Clean Sea), who declared that “soon we will run the risk of having more masks than jellyfish in the Mediterranean”. Fish, seabirds, sea turtles, and marine mammals mistake this waste for food, and ingest the debris. As a result, plastic fills their stomachs, and causes them to suffocate or starve, and eventually die.
In addition to the consumption of waste, a massive risk for animals is being entangled in the trash. According to Sue Schwar, the manager of South Essex Wildlife Hospital, second to cat predation, animals most commonly brought into the hospital are injured from debris that they had been tangled in. Synthetic COVID-19 masks tighten around many animal’s legs and necks, causing their joints to swell, or worst case scenario, choke. If an animal is lucky enough to be caught, they can still be traumatized from being tangled in the mask, and typically need to be rehabilitated in order to be released into the wild.
Luckily, there are many simple ways to reduce the impacts of PPE waste on the environment. Primarily, wearing a cloth face mask is much more eco-friendly. It is very unlikely for reusable cloth masks to end up as litter, as people tend to keep and reuse these masks rather than tossing them after one use. It can also be very costly to continuously buy disposable masks rather than buying a couple cloth masks and reusing them. However, if you still prefer to use disposable face masks, you can still reduce the impact they have on wildlife by cutting the straps off of the masks. This will decrease the amount of masks that get tangled on an animal’s legs, and could possibly save their lives. Next time you go out to catch a bite with friends or pick up some food at the market, consider replacing your disposable face masks with a cloth one, and save a life!
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