Despite news of decreased pollution in China?because factories and companies have shut down after the coronavirus outbreak, the pandemic has been contributing to environmental pollution too.?
One would think that with people quarantined in their homes there'd be some relief on the environment. But what is happening is just the opposite.?
Discarded face masks are piling up on Hong Kong's beaches and nature trails. Apart from the plastic pollution that ocean and aquatic life is already fighting, these masks are an additional threat to marine life.?
Many people around the world are using single-use face masks every day and discarding them. In Hong Kong, the number of people using single day masks is 7.4 million. The number of people infected in the country is over 125.?
The problem with use-and-throw masks is that they are not being disposed of properly. They end up being dumped in the countryside or the sea where marine life can mistake them for food and die off.
Environmental groups in the country say that the cast-off coronavirus masks have increased the problem of marine trash and also the concern of spread of germs.
¡°We have only had masks for the last six to eight weeks, in a massive volume... we are now seeing the effect on the environment,¡± Daily Mail quoted Gary Stokes, founder of the environmental group Oceans Asia as saying.?
These use-and-throw masks are made of polypropylene, a type of plastic.?¡°People think they're protecting themselves but it's not just about protecting yourselves, you need to protect everybody and by not throwing away the mask properly, it's very selfish,¡± Stokes said.?
People should be more careful about their surroundings even as they try to protect themselves.?