They are the item that defined the Covid-19 pandemic, and in many ways saved us from it, but they’ve also become a massive problem in their own right.
The number of face masks found in litter globally has skyrocketed more than 80-fold because of the Covid-19 pandemic, a new study has found.
Citizen scientists in 11 countries, including Australia, used a litter-logging app called Litterati to quantify the increase they have seen in discarded personal protective equipment (PPE) since early 2020.
Besides an 84-times increase in dropped masks, the study also revealed gloves and wipes had more than doubled in litter volumes.
The problem was most widely reported in Britain, where PPE now accounts for more than 5 percent of all litter. Australia reported less overall PPE litter than most nations in the study, but more than New Zealand, Sweden and The Netherlands.
The authors of the study, which has been published in Nature Sustainability said the environmental impacts of PPE litter should be considered in future government pandemic responses, as the items damaged the environment in a number of ways: mask straps entangled wildlife both on land and at sea, the plastic elements broke down into harmful microplastics, and their component chemicals leached toxins into waterways.
Single-use face masks are a global issue two years into the pandemic .
So why are we seeing so many masks dropped on city footpaths and in parks? Mask-wearing suggests conscientiousness and civic-mindedness, which are not attributes associated with people who litter.
But people could be reluctant to pick up someone else’s stray mask to put in the bin – even if they regularly collect other forms of litter when they see it – because of the direct link to Covid-19.
Businesses could do their part by providing staff with reusable cloth masks, rather than handing out yet more disposable masks.
Mask mandates vary between states and territories in Australia. NSW wound back its mask rules on December 16, now requiring them only to be worn in high risk settings, such as on public transport and in healthcare facilities and airports. This brings NSW in line with Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia.
Victoria was set to follow but decided to stick with its stricter rules, which require masks in shops as well as high-risk settings, until at least January 21 because of the new Omicron variant of the virus.
Chemist Warehouse director Mario Tascone said the chain was still seeing “strong sales” for both disposable and reusable masks.
Source Kids News