Reducing the Environmental Harm of Masks

We wear masks to reduce the spread of COVID19 and billions of masks are discarded daily. The plastic in many of these results in waste that can last for hundreds of years. The strings entangle birds. Marine wildlife eat masks, confusing them with food, and then choke or slowly starve as the plastic they consume fills their stomachs. If your circumstances don’t require surgical grade (plastic) masks, consider fabric masks that can be laundered. When you do discard a mask, snip the strings to reduce the risk to wildlife.

• Science Daily – Face Masks and the Environment: Preventing the Next Plastic Problem