Face masks help protect us from COVID. But we need to protect the planet from that plastic pollution

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Australia has been warned to guard against a massive COVID face mask litter problem that could last generations.

Each item of litter is photographed, tagged and linked to a time and place.

Dr Roberts made this composite image from photos of face mask litter taken near his Southampton home. Zoom in.Between September 2019 to September 2020, the number of bits of litter tagged "mask" went from non-existent to over 6 per cent."Within the first three months of mask mandates in Australia, mask littering remained below 0.2 per cent of all collected litter," Dr Roberts said.

We're always being told to wear a mask, but perhaps we also need to be reminded more to avoid littering with them too. Governments that mandate masks, he added, need to help through education and providing more bins for masks. Not only is face mask litter potentially contaminated with coronavirus, but masks are made of long-lasting plastic materials that don't break down.

 

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Plastic face masks, can't breath through plastic. Solution to pollution CO2 from coal power houses can be fully converted to biopolymers and so biodegradable plastics. So no CO2, support coal industry and no plastics pollution.

Wonder how many face masks are in the drains after heavy rain.

I have not had to wear one this entire pandemic, thanks to our great leader Mark McGowan.

We need to develop a systematic thoroughly developed ecological civilization and not just tackle one issue at a time.

Face masks stop us from breathing naturally. If logic applies,it will be a big help to the planet.

Derr. This has been happening for 2 years

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