Campaigners sound the alarm over disposable face masks
▶ Dumping used masks and gloves irresponsibly could clog wildlife habitats and sewerage systems
Millions of discarded face masks piling up in public areas could end up polluting the world’s oceans and sewerage networks, environmentalists said.
As more people wear personal protective equipment during the coronavirus pandemic, many have resorted to dumping used items in streets, parks and on beaches.
Environmental groups said these cast-offs could accelerate global pollution and set back the fight against reducing waste.
Many of the disposable masks sold in chemists and shops contain materials that are not biodegradable, including plastics such as polypropylene.
And just like any single-use plastic, the excess litter could pose a huge threat to marine life and wildlife habitats.
“In the quest to fight Covid-19, the problem of plastic pollution has just intensified,” said Habiba Al Marashi, chair of the Emirates Environmental Group.
“When the world pledged to ban single-use plastics, the coronavirus outbreak turned the situation around.
“The use of face masks and gloves is not the only threat here. More people are using single-use plastic bags in grocery stores and shopping malls because of the fear of cross-contamination, too.”
Although rubber gloves and masks are part of the defence against infection, she said a failure to dispose of them correctly could end up “clogging sidewalk drains and washing into waterways”.
This could put additional stress on the environment and add to the “growing burden of marine debris”.
“These disposable protective items are lightweight and can be carried away by wind or washed off by the rain very easily,” Ms Al Marashi said.
“Discarded masks and gloves will not only pollute the land and be a threat to our wildlife. It will also fill up our water bodies and put aquatic life at risk.”
In line with World Health Organisation guidelines, disposable masks should be discarded immediately after use in a closed bin.
Globally, plastics have consistently been listed among the top 10 items collected in ocean clean-ups around the world.
Scientists estimate that about eight million metric tonnes of plastic ends up in the ocean every year, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
As a result of the pandemic, the manufacture and sale of face masks has soared in recent months, magnifying the potential for more plastic waste.
Many frontline healthcare workers in the UAE now don the protective gear around the clock to treat patients.
Residents are also required to wear them at all times when outside the home.
In late March, Lulu, which has 75 supermarket and hypermarket branches in the UAE, announced it was sourcing 1.6 million face masks, on average, every day.
And since government precautionary measures were introduced, Fine Hygienic Holding, a manufacturer of hygiene products, has supplied more than 300,000 masks to the UAE market.
“We produce and sell between 6,000 and 8,000 per day,” James Lafferty, its chief executive, told The National.
“Our masks are reusable and environmentally friendly. Despite the urge to produce disposable masks and make a profit, we have resisted on principle.
“When we are in a postcorona world, which is indeed coming, we want our planet to be healthy, not choked with billions of non-biodegradable masks and gloves in our landfills and oceans.”
Dr Cody Paris, deputy director of academic planning and research at Middlesex University Dubai, said most face masks on the market are “single-use and non-biodegradable”.
“These discards can remain for years, and most of them caught by wind updrafts can end up in the desert or washed down drains, which eventually end up in the ocean and waterways,” he said.
“We need more dedicated waste bins for capturing discarded face masks and plastic gloves.
“When people see these bright looking bins popping up like the way hand sanitiser stations popped up during initial days, they will be more inclined to dispose of it safely.”
Dr Paris is currently involved in research on cities that managed to flatten the curve. He said the evidence so far suggests these states took “considerable measures” to tackle the impact of discarded items.
Some of these steps included encouraging the use of “paper masks or cloth masks made of cotton”, which can be reused, as well as awareness drives to educate people of the environmental impact such littering can have.
Dumped plastic waste can “entangle wildlife or be mistaken for food”, said Natalie Banks, a marine conservationist in Abu Dhabi.
Filter-feeding animals, such as whale sharks and humpback whales, could ingest floating masks and gloves by accident.
Last month, Abu Dhabi Police said motorists would receive a Dh1,000 fine and six black points if caught dumping used face masks and gloves.