The Discarded Covid face masks littering our streets.
By Emily Price
Face masks designed to protect us from coronavirus are increasingly being found discarded on our streets and in beauty spots around the UK.
It's estimated that 53 million disposable masks are either binned or dropped on the floor every day. This has created a new type of pollution that only a few months ago didn't even exist. With coronavirus expected to be around for the foreseeable future, the accumulation of discarded masks is beginning to show.
Single use face masks are deemed "unrecyclable" because there will always be a risk that they have become contaminated.
Each single use surgical face mask weighs 4 grams and contains chemicals that are a threat to our environment. They contain large amounts of polypropylene which is a type of plastic that takes a long time to degrade. As it breaks down it releases harmful toxins into the natural world.
A recent picture released by the RSPCA shows a seagull found in Essex tangled in the straps of a discarded disposable mask.
Photo: RSPCA
Photo: RSPCA
Despite the bird suffering severe swelling around its legs, it was able to make a full recovery thanks to the care of the RSPCA.
The RSPCA is now urging the public to "snip the straps" of used face masks as they are becoming a new threat to wildlife.
Chris Sherwood, the RSPCA's chief executive said: "Now that face masks are increasingly the norm, our snip the straps message is more important than ever. We're concerned discarded face masks could become a significant hazard, particularly to wild animals and birds.
Face mask on a football field.
Face mask on a football field.
Face mask on a road.
Face mask on a road.
Face mask outside a pub.
Face mask outside a pub.
Face mask caught in a tree.
Face mask caught in a tree.
Face mask on path popular with dog walkers.
Face mask on path popular with dog walkers.
In Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, used face masks found abandoned in beauty spots and on streets have become common place over the last few months.
Gareth Pearson from Gurnos, Merthyr Tydfil has been volunteering as a litter picker in his area and the beautiful nature reserves of the south Wales valleys. Gareth said: "Recently I've noticed used face masks on the floor everywhere in Merthyr. It made me so angry so I paid for my own litter picking grabber and started to dispose of the masks properly."
Photo: Gareth Pearson.
Photo: Gareth Pearson.
Red pins indicate discarded masks found on a two mile round walk in a village in Merthyr Tydfil.
Red pins indicate discarded masks found on a two mile round walk in a village in Merthyr Tydfil.
Gareth Pearson talking about his experience as a volunteer litter picker in Merthyr Tydfil.
Gareth Pearson talking about his experience as a volunteer litter picker in Merthyr Tydfil.
With Face masks being mandatory in the UK for the foreseeable future it seems that more and more will inevitably end up dropped on the floor.
Keep Wales Tidy are encouraging people to use reusable facemasks and avoid the single use ones that are so often discarded.
Nia Lloyd, a representative of Keep Wales Tidy said: "Single use PPE tends to be made of plastic. If it's not disposed of properly, it poses as much of a threat to the environment as littered plastic bottles."
Volunteers for Keep Wales Tidy have encountered PPE litter on 45% of clean up activities since September. This possibly contaminated litter poses risks for the council workers and volunteers picking it up.
The environmental impact of discarded face masks will now become a long term problem for our natural world. They are not only appearing on our streets, but they are also being washed up on our beaches from our seas.
As the masks slowly break down in the ocean, the plastic they are made from becomes particles which form part of the food chain for marine life.
Most people are aware we need to decrease our reliance on plastic products but this has become difficult with face masks now mandatory in many countries.
For anyone using a single use face mask, consider trying a reusable mask that can be washed and made safe again. If you absolutely must use a single use mask, snip the straps and place it in a bin when finished.
When the dark shadow of coronavirus has passed over us and we begin rebuilding the social aspect of our lives, we must not forget our world is fragile and our choices now will have consequences for years to come, some that cannot be reversed.
by Emily Price.
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