Scope of mask litter problem revealed

We’ve all seen them: the Covid-19 face masks dropped in parks and on city streets. But a new study has revealed the staggering global nature of the problem.

They’re the item that defined the Covid-19 pandemic, and in many ways saved us from it, but they’ve also become a massive problem in their own right.

The number of face masks found in litter globally skyrocketed more than 80-fold because of the Covid-19 pandemic, a new study has found.

Citizen scientists in 11 countries including Australia used a litter-logging app called Litterati to quantify the increase they have seen in discarded personal protective equipment (PPE) since early 2020.

Besides an 84-times increase in dropped masks, the study also revealed gloves and wipes had more than doubled in litter volumes.

The problem was most widely reported in Britain, where PPE now accounts for more than 5 per cent of all litter.

Australia reported less overall PPE litter than most nations in the study, but more than New Zealand, Sweden and The Netherlands.

Face mask litter collected on Lantau island, Hong Kong. The surge in mask wearing during the coronavirus pandemic has thrown up a potent new threat to wildlife. Picture: AFP

The authors of the study, which has been published in Nature Sustainability, said the environmental impacts of PPE litter should be considered in future government pandemic responses, as the items damage the environment in a number of ways. Besides mask straps entangling wildlife, the plastic elements can break down into harmful microplastics, and their component chemicals can leach toxins into waterways.

Clean Up Australia Chairman Pip Kiernan said the organisation would be using the sheer number of dropped masks as a call to action for the next Clean Up Australia Day, on Sunday March 6.

“We don’t want the pandemic to have this huge environmental legacy, and we can all take action,” she said.

So why are we seeing so many masks dropped on city footpaths and parks? Mask-wearing suggests conscientiousness and civic-mindedness, which are not attributes associated with people who litter.

“A certain number are just being dropped in error,” Ms Kiernan said. “We all need to keep track and be super vigilant.”

Pip Kiernan took over as chair of Clean Up Australia after the death of her father, Ian Kiernan, who was the charity's founder. Picture: AAP

Businesses could do their part by providing staff with reusable cloth masks, rather than handing out yet more disposable masks, she said.

“It’s not likely that mask wearing is going to go away any time soon,” she said. “When things settle with this pandemic, we’ll see more people wearing masks when they’ve got colds and flu, as we’ve seen in other parts of the world.”

Mask mandates vary between each state and territory, ranging from NSW and Victoria, where they are required for a range of settings including retail, to states such as Tasmania and Western Australia, where they are chiefly required in just health care and airport facilities.

Chemist Warehouse director Mario Tascone said the chain was still seeing “strong sales” for both disposable and reusable masks.

Registrations for Clean Up Australia Day events are now open. Go to cleanup.org.au to find out about events near you.