Covid Masks

I know we are all sick of them. Especially those of us who have never gotten a break from wearing them because of mandates at work. No matter your stance on wearing masks, it is safe to say that we will all be happy when mask wearing will be limited to Halloween and Masquerades. However, there is an environmental impact that mask wearing bears and that is the focus of this article.

Approximately 7,200 tons of waste are created each day as a result of the Covid pandemic, most of which is from disposable face masks*. This is a huge increase in waste which can not be recycled and typically ends up in a landfill. These masks are made from non-woven cloth, meaning that the primary component is plastic.

Due to the manufacturing process of plastics and the amount of time it takes them to naturally decompose (unknown) this creates a considerable problem for future generations. Especially considering the fact that people typically use one or more masks per day.

Fortunately, the solution to this issue is an obvious and relatively simple one. Wearing reusable cloth masks rather than single use disposable masks significantly decreases waste. You can support small businesses by purchasing masks from them or create your own. Either way, you are reducing your waste and your impact on the environment.

*https://news.mit.edu/2021/covid-masks-environment-0720#:~:text=Caption%3A-,The%20Covid%2D19%20pandemic%20is%20estimated%20to%20generate%20up%20to,of%20which%20is%20disposable%20masks.&text=All%20of%20those%20masks%20carry,of%20which%20is%20disposable%20masks.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-54057799