Finding a balance between sustainability and safety is hard. Especially in COVID times.
My reuseable cup isn’t accepted in cafes and my favourite sushi place now prepackages everything. COVID has also had a huge impact on the dental field, where heightened concerns over patient and practitioner safety have stamped out any thoughts of sustainability.
In pre-COVID days, preventing the spread of disease between patients and dental practitioners, was obviously still really, really important. Dental infection control is a complex system made up of a lot of sterilising and a lot of single use plastic. However, thanks to COVID, the amount of recommended PPE (personal protective equipment) in the dental surgery has increased immensely. No longer just a mask and gloves, it’s now full body plastic aprons, face shields, and plastic wrapped EVERYTHING.
And now COVID has brought this increased infection control into our everyday lives. The hand sanitiser is omnipresent and the blue masks are everywhere. When I was working in dental, we wore the same blue masks. I don’t think I even really clocked they were made of plastic. They were just one of the many single use items we’d need to throw in the bin between appointments (and one of my motivations to start Solid).
Since COVID, our global mask usage has risen exponentially. Most people favour the disposable blue masks. Now, I’m all for masking up. Science tells us that masks or face coverings can help reduce the spread of COVID – and that’s definitely a good thing. But it does make me wonder where all these single use masks are ending up.
Globally, the pandemic is estimated to generate up to 7,200 tons of medical waste per day, and most of it is – you guessed it – blue masks. These masks are made from polypropylene, a fossil fuel-derived plastic, and have a lifespan of about 450 years. They’re not recyclable, in fact technically they are medical waste.
Blue masks are light and easily carried by the wind into the sea. Once there, they either break down over time to join the soup of microplastics, or endanger sea and birdlife. Birds die when face mask straps get tangled around their necks and legs. There’s a PSA going around about cutting the straps, but most of the masks floating around haven’t been disposed of thoughtfully, so are intact.
Most days I see at least one or two ownerless masks in the gutter, on the footpath or being blown across the road. Those wonderful people who pick up rubbish on their daily walks are understandably going to be more hesitant to pick up a mask because, well, picking up a used mask on the road is not the same as picking up a dropped plastic bottle.
I don’t have an answer to this issue. People need to wear some sort of face covering or mask in public, and if their only option is a disposable blue mask, then that’s all good. If other choices are possible, experts agree that reusable, fabric masks are the best option available to most people. If they can be made from non-synthetic fabric pieces that would otherwise have gone to waste that’s even better. There are some other cool ideas out there, including masks made of seeds!?
My whanau’s masks needs were covered with zero effort from myself – my Mum posted each person in our extended whanau a set of homesewn reusable face masks. Yes, I’m very lucky.
Keep safe and mask up Aotearoa. But it doesn’t need to be a blue mask 🙂
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Some cafes are accepting reusable cups! It definitely isn’t in the Level 2 guidelines that they can’t. It’s a “per business” issue.
I’ve definitely noticed the mask litter, and you’re definitely right about a reluctance to pick them up. I might use a pair of disposable gloves to pick them up but that doesn’t help with the overall waste issue! Hopefully safe disposal of these is something that will be further considered as masks become more and more the norm.
Some people will still continue to use the disposable masks because I’ve heard they’re actually better protection and also easier to breathe in. These considerations would trump the waste issue for some people I’m sure.
Thanks for reading! Yes, I find cafes very hit and miss as to whether they’ll accept cups! Good point – if they are easier to breathe in for some people thats a very valid reason to use them 🙂
I agree with everything you’ve said here. Well put. 🙂 There’s a great Instagram account I follow – uyo.nz – that lists cafés that are accepting keep cups, which is great.
I agree with the OP as well that there does seem to be more masks littered about than any of us would prefer to see. I take a couple of small plastic bags out with me when I go walking, and use one to pick up rubbish (esp masks) and put it into the other bag.
(Side note – what an amazing mum you have!)