These days, you can’t walk anywhere without seeing discarded and lost face masks in the gutter, on the pavement or peering out of an overflowing bin. These ubiquitous symbols of the coronavirus pandemic will all eventually end up in the same place – either in landfill, a river or the ocean.

At the height of the pandemic, a Danish study reported that worldwide three million masks a minute were being discarded. Closer to home, a Ghanaian study reports that 353 million single-use face masks are thrown away every day in sub-Saharan Africa.

Given that face masks are made of polymeric materials that remain in the environment for a long time (some studies estimate 50 years) after they have been discarded, it’s clear that PPE is fast causing an environmental crisis now that protective items like gloves and masks are no longer used by the medical fraternity only.

Is your disposable face mask really made of plastic?
While they may not appear to be plastic, disposable face masks, some protective gowns and disinfectant wipes are classified as non-biodegradable plastic that breaks down into smaller particles referred to as microplastics. Waste from these items gets broken up with the help of physical, chemical and biological processes, placing an enormous burden on ecosystems.

Murdock Ramathuba, national government’s Director for Environmental Health, recently admitted in an interview with Eyewitness News that there are no licensed state incinerators to dispose of medical waste in South Africa. This is largely left to the private sector. Government-owned incinerators were discontinued because treating healthcare waste and disposing of it was too costly.

In the early days of the pandemic, reusable fabric masks were popular – even fashionable – but as Covid-19 drags on and COVID fatigue has set in, many have changed to single-use masks that don’t have to be washed and dried. Disposable face masks might be more convenient but since there are no clear guidelines on recycling, they are disposed of as solid waste and casually tossed in the rubbish bin with food, packaging and other household waste.

How to reduce the danger masks pose to our environment
The news is not all bad. The World Health Organization (WHO) is committed to supporting African countries, helping them to develop targeted and tailored waste management protocols that complement existing measures. If you consider that Africa produces 282 000 tonnes of medical waste each year, it stands to reason that this won't be quick and easy.

‘WHO is engaging in multi-sectorial efforts to effect changes in waste management systems in Africa,’ says Claude Mangobo, Technical Officer for Vaccine Logistics and Supply Chain in the Vaccines Pillar of the WHO Regional Office for Africa. ‘It is a critical process that we are committed to for the health of the continent and its people.’

The crisis is one that requires clear disposal guidelines from government, but in the meantime we, as organisations and individuals, can help stem the tide of disposable masks that are clogging drains, polluting rivers and oceans, and entangling animals.

The most environmentally friendly way to throw away disposable face masks and PPE

• Carry a spare reusable mask so that you don’t have to buy a disposable one if you should lose your cloth face mask.
• Cut the straps of disposal masks so that animals don’t become entangled in them.
• Cut up gloves or cut them open so that small animals don't become trapped in the fingers.
• Set up mask-only rubbish bins at your workplace and arrange for safe disposal and collection. Enviroserv provides this service in South Africa.
• If you use single-use masks, make sure to place them in a bin with a lid so that they don’t fall out or blow away.

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