Group pushes for proper disposal of used face masks

A zero waste advocacy group called on the authorities to make the responsible disposal of used face masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) mandatory to safeguard human health and the environment.

As the wearing of face masks and other face coverings has become a daily routine, the EcoWaste Coalition is deeply concerned that some of these protective items, particularly the non-biodegradable and non-recyclable plastic masks, are ending up polluting the environment.

To address this threat to the environment, the group urged the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) and all local government units (LGUs) to underscore ecological waste management as an integral component of the protocols to combat COVID-19 transmission.

“We urge the IATF and our LGUs to make it a point to include the ecological management of used face masks and other PPE in the protocols being enforced in our communities and workplaces,” said Jove Benosa, Zero Waste Campaigner, EcoWaste Coalition.

“The unhygienic and environmentally destructive practice of throwing soiled masks and other PPE on the sides of streets and other public places is very worrisome.  The ban on dumping or littering under RA 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act and related ordinances, should be enforced,” he said.

“If we fail to stop such a practice, littered face masks may become as common as cigarette butts and plastic bags polluting the streets, beaches and seas,” he warned.

“Fish and other marine animals do not wear face masks,” he emphasized, “so please dispose of your used masks with utmost care.”

The EcoWaste Coalition had earlier documented the littering of face masks in the streets of Metro Manila and in some coastal places, prompting it to reach out to certain LGUs and lobby for the enactment of ordinance to prohibit and penalize such acts.

At the minimum, soiled disposable masks should be wrapped on a used paper and discarded in a closed bin and not simply thrown on the streets where they can end up in storm drains and eventually into the rivers and oceans.

The irresponsible disposal of used face masks and other PPE may also put waste workers, including street sweepers, garbage collectors and waste pickers, at risk of being exposed to the coronavirus, which can remain in inanimate objects for days, the group said.

Early this year researchers at the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) revealed that “SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can be detected in aerosols for up to three hours and on plastic and stainless steel surfaces for up to three days.”

As pointed out in an infographic material published by the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), “used masks may carry germs and should be properly disposed of in order to prevent further spreading of the coronavirus,”

To discourage the unrestrained use and disposal of throw-away masks, the EcoWaste Coalition further appealed to the public to opt for reusable fabric masks, which can be easily washed with detergent or soap and safely reused.

“By opting for reusable or washable face masks, we avoid generating non-biodegradable and non-recyclable garbage that only adds to the worsening plastic pollution crisis,” it said, stressing that limiting people’s use of medical-grade masks will ensure adequate and steady supply for individuals who need them the most.

According to an advisory from the World Health Organization (WHO), “medical masks (also known as surgical masks) should be worn by health workers, people who have COVID-19 symptoms and those who take care of someone suspected or confirmed with COVID-19.”