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The majority of the world started wearing masks to protect against COVID-19 — but you might not have considered the lasting effects of face masks on the environment. The vast majority of the face masks being used every day by medical professionals, other frontline workers, and the general public are disposable, created inexpensively from plastic microfibers. The production and disposal of these plastic face masks take a surprising toll on the environment.
 

It is now estimated that every minute on Earth, 3 million face masks are used as personal protective equipment (PPE) by people in direct response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

That’s 129 billion face masks a month around the world.‌

With the sheer volume of masks being used by every country, every month, the amount of plastic waste added to the regular yearly total of worldwide plastic waste has increased enormously. The amount of total carbon dioxide released has also increased as a result of the production and transporting of the disposable masks most people have been using.‌

Scientists in the UK found by analyzing data over the last year that if each resident of just the UK uses one disposable surgical mask each day for a year, it would create approximately 124,000 tons of unrecyclable plastic waste, 66,000 tons of contaminated waste, and an additional 57,000 tons of plastic packaging waste.‌
 

There is currently no specific waste disposal method suggested for disposable surgical face masks in any country, though some novel approaches have been proposed.‌

Environmental Effects of Face Masks — What We Know So Far

 

The citizens of some countries have long used face masks as a means of preventing the further spread of viruses. In many other countries, such as the United States and Western Europe, wearing face masks before 2020 is largely reserved for specific circumstances, like if someone is visiting a relative or newborn in the hospital.‌
 

Since COVID-19 began, the majority of the world’s governments have mandated citizens practice social distancing as well as the compulsory use of face masks when in a public setting. Initially, many governments, such as the UK, did not mandate mask use for the general public, as they thought that masks were ineffective at preventing the spread of the virus. As understanding about the virus grew, the World Health Organization (WHO) made its stance known that it was necessary to wear masks in public.‌
 

After the WHO explained how the virus can be transmitted through the air, wearing face masks became the norm for many people worldwide.‌
 

For a mask to be effective, it requires three layers of materials. As the coronavirus ramped up around the world, most people began using disposable masks made from plastic microfibers. 90% of all masks worn by the public are now disposables.‌
 

The thing is, though they’re technically disposable masks, they’re not easily broken down. Plastics like polypropylene, a common component in disposable masks, take around 450 years to fully biodegrade.‌
 

How Masks Affect the Environment

Discarded masks may initially present a risk to the people picking them up — whether that’s waste collection services or people picking up discarded masks as litter — as the coronavirus can survive for seven days on a mask.‌
 

In the medium to long term, however, larger problems exist with discarded masks. In addition to the issue of waste, they can have an outsized effect on the environment and wildlife, both on land and in waterways like rivers and oceans.‌
 

Many animals are unable to tell the difference between a mask and their prey or may become curious about a mask and end up tangled in the strings. Some animals can choke on littered masks, while others can become malnourished and starve to death if they consume the masks. Their stomachs will become full of litter, which many cannot digest, preventing them from consuming vital nutrients to survive.‌
 

This problem persists on land as well as in waterways and can break up ecosystems, toss them into upheaval as certain species die off, or collapse ecosystems entirely.‌
 

Plastics take a long time to break down, and as they do break down, they pose further risks to the environment and food chains. Many nano plastics, which make up the microplastics that masks and other plastic waste is comprised of, are long-lived polymers that can end up accumulating in and tainting the food chain. The millions of nano plastic particles that make up one mask have the potential to carry chemicals and bacteria up the food chain, with contamination potentially even reaching humans.‌
 

What We Can Do to Minimize the Environmental Effects of Face Masks

There are a few different options available to people that wish to do their part, as we all should, at reducing the plastic waste, CO2 emissions, and other environmental effects of worldwide mask-wearing.‌
 

A working paper by the Plastic Waste Innovation Hub of University College London claims the current demand in the UK for face masks is at 24.7 billion masks per year. If reusable masks become widely adopted by the majority of people in the UK, the number of masks in demand each year drops to only 136 million. Though the paper focuses on the UK, these numbers can provide insight into other countries.‌
 

Reusable Masks

The use of reusable, machine-washable cloth masks without filters has the lowest overall impact of any type of mask and is considered the best option currently available.‌

Homemade Masks

 

Many companies found a niche in the consumer goods market manufacturing reusable cloth masks. However, you can also make a mask at home that is just as safe as a surgical mask using upcycled stuff you probably already have. Making your own mask out of upcycled sheets or t-shirts is one of the best options available, as it produces no further waste and, if you have all the materials, doesn’t cost anything more than a bit of time.‌

It’s recommended that you use plain, tightly woven cotton pre-shrunk in a wash of hot water before making your mask. There’s a ton of great DIY videos out there — here’s one recommended by Greenpeace.‌
 

Mask Rotation

To reuse plastic disposable masks, there is a method called mask rotation. After wearing, users hang the mask to dry or put them in a breathable container like a paper bag to dry between uses. Before wearing again, decontamination can be done with various methods such as moist heat, dry heat, UV treatment, or hydrogen peroxide vaporization.‌

Biodegradable Masks

 

The plastic in masks can be replaced with organic matter that has specific qualities, such as high tensile strength, ecological safety, low cost, and high biodegradable potential as zero waste products.‌
 

Biodegradable polymers can be obtained from polysaccharides, like starches, as well as proteins, lipids, and micro-organisms. Suitable natural fibers that can be used for weaving masks are found in cactus, banana, straw, hemp, bamboo, and sugar cane.‌

Similarly, filters can be made using biodegradable plant fibers such as bamboo, hemp, coffee, sugar, and tea leaves.‌
 

Though not currently widespread, sugar cane and hemp masks are currently available on the market, indicating the possibility of using organic materials for eco-friendly face masks. This results in masks with 99.9% dual antibacterial technology and high filtration capacity.‌
 

About Miniwiz — Plastic Waste Solutions

Miniwiz is committed to capturing the value of single-use plastics and other recyclables like metal and glass and transforming them via upcycling into sustainable building materials, building modules, specialty fabrics, and designer furniture and fixtures.‌

Innovation and upcycling are at the heart of how Miniwiz sees the solution to plastic and other recyclable waste. They’re currently making waves with construction and design projects using recycled materials. Check out the Miniwiz Solutions.

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