PPE becoming pollution problem

Writer: Joey Pellegrino
Published:
A face mask in a parking lot. Credit: WINK News

Dirty face masks left all along our roads and parking lots have become an unfortunately common sight. But it is not just masks that are causing problems.

If you choose to wear single-use masks, environmentalist Jennifer Jones from Florida Gulf Coast University recommends you break or cut the earloops before you toss the masks in the garbage, since those can strangle animals who might mistake your dirty mask for food.

Now that masks and gloves have become a part of our daily lives, more and more of them are ending up not just on the ground, but in our waterways. This year, the International Coastal Cleanup in September added personal protective equipment as a category after volunteers picked up more than 62,000 single-use masks and gloves worldwide.

One volunteer says we still need to clean up after ourselves, even though we’re using more plastic during the pandemic.

“I just hope that people make sure they’re conscious of the environment, and that they pick up things as they go along,” said John Riley.

Jones says our use of disposable plastics has increased by about 40% during the pandemic, also due to an increase in takeout services when restaurants closed their dining rooms.

“One thing we can do when possible is, of course, don’t use those single-use plastics,” Jones said. “If they do get used, absolutely dispose of them properly. That can include putting them in a receptacle can or recycling them.”

Jones says cloth and linen masks tend to be more environmentally friendly, since many are biodegradable.

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