2024-04-04 12:47:17
In this 2020 the face mask They became a staple product, at the beginning of the year they unleashed panic buying and as the weeks went by they even became the latest trend in fashion. However, like thousands of products in human life, they ended up thrown away like garbage in the sea.
Furthermore, in ridiculous quantities: they estimate that more than 6 thousand tons of face masks are polluting our oceans.
This measurement was recently presented in a study conducted by OceansAsia —a marine conservation organization based in Hong Kong—in which they arrived at this estimate after tour the beaches of the eastern continent.
According to research, it is estimated that more than 1,500 million face masks end up in the sea worldwide and that these items, so popular in 2020, became almost 6,240 tons of marine plastic pollution.
And to finish grinding it? That amount of garbage It would take about 450 years to undo.
“The millions of face masks that are in the sea are just the tip of the iceberg”said Dr. Teale Phelps Bondaroff, director of research at OceansAsia. “The 6,000 tons of masks are just a fraction of the 12 million tons of plastic that end up in our oceans each year.”
What can we do to avoid throwing away so many face masks?
The most basic and simplest, the study cites, is to try to buy reusable face masks when possible.
Furthermore, the study of OceansAsia calls on governments around the world to find a method of disposing of masks in a clear, clean and orderly manner. Likewise, they ask increase fines for those who litter irresponsibly.
While 2021 looks to be a year just as useful for face masks, we can think of innovative ways to use this basic product for protection without neglecting the environment. (YO)