Reasons Why We Should Stop Wearing Disposable Face Masks
One of the deadliest situations of the world has been the pandemic however, with the rise in cases there has also been a significant rise in the usage of disposable masks. Disposable masks are those masks that are intended for only one use. These are available at cheaper rates and can be easily bought in bulk. Even though wearing masks is one of the most important weapons in dealing with the pandemic but the extensive use of these disposable masks has led to another problem.
There have been many reports citing an increase in pollution levels because of the masks. This is just one of the problems caused by the use of disposable face masks. Therefore, it is advised to switch to cloth masks to avoid such masks.
Made of Plastic
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| Face Masks |
One of the many reasons why you as an individual should consider switching to cloth masks is that these disposable face masks are made out of plastic. As it has been advocated from past so many years, single-use plastic is troublesome for the environment. However, with the pandemic, this issue has been sidelined as the main focus has been on curbing the spread of the coronavirus. The masks are made out of Polypropylene which takes hundreds of years to break down and the elastic band on the masks is made out of woven plastic that also cannot be broken down easily.
Rising Pollution and CO2 Levels
Many organizations have reported that with an increase in the use of disposable face masks the pollution levels in the sea have risen exorbitantly. Governments all around the world are widely placing orders for disposable masks but they have forgotten to consider the safe way on how dispose these onetime use face masks. Since there is no government-mandated disposal policy the burden of washing away the waste has again fallen to the sea. This pollution of the sea by overuse of disposable face masks has caused harm to many animals.
It has been reported by many organizations that there might be more masks in the sea than the jellyfish and this is also causing harm to various marine creatures such as dolphins. In many of the bodies of dead dolphins that have floated ashore, it has been noticed that the main cause is the indigestion of disposable face mask made from plastic. Not only dolphins even sea turtles have been found choking to death on disposable face masks and latex gloves. In addition to this, the birds have also been found entangled in the face masks. It is advised to cut off the elastic straps of the masks for proper disposal.
In addition to this, the mass production of such disposable face masks has also added to the rising CO2 levels. Since these are made of plastic they generate carbon when they are being manufactured.
The shortage for the First Responders
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| Face Masks |
Another major problem of using disposable face masks is that it is creating a shortage for the first responders who require it more than the common public. It is no surprise that the first responders are required to use single-use masks as they are dealing with severe cases of the covid-19 and therefore, they have to be extra cautious to not get infected themselves but the overuse of the masks by the common public, has led to a shortage for the first responders.
Conclusion
Therefore, it is evident that disposable face masks are doing more harm than good. Hence, switching to cloth face masks may be the ideal solution to the problem. This way spread of Covid-19 can also be kept in check and the disadvantages from extensive use of disposable face masks can also be reduced.
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