Protect The Environment and Animals from Disposable Facemasks

Facemasks have proven to be a highly effective tool in reducing the spread of COVID-19 and won’t be going away anytime soon. But when disposable masks aren’t responsibly thrown away, they can be really damaging to the environment and harmful to animals. Let’s all do our part by properly and consciously throwing away any disposable masks that we use to protect our planet and the animals that we share it with!

Mask litter has already made its way around our parks and pavements. Recent reports have shared images of local wildlife getting tangled in the elastic straps of disposable masks. See below image from the RSPCA.

Image via https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-53474772 from RSPCA

The gull entangled in a disposable facemask was spotted by a member of staff at a nearby car show room in Chelmsford, Essex who contacted the RSPCA.

The rescuer, Mr Jones, said it must have been caught in the mask for some time, as the elastic straps had become so tightly wound around the gull’s legs that it couldn’t fly and the joints were swollen and sore.

The charity believes that "now face masks are compulsory for many situations, there will be more and more being irresponsibly discarded and wild animals and birds will become tangled in the elastic straps".

"I'm concerned that this gull could be the first of many victims now that face masks are the norm," Mr Jones added.

The Risks of Littered Facemasks

There’s no doubt that you have already seen mask litter polluting our city’s streets, which could result in further risks to animals. PETA outlines that “Dolphins, turtles, and other marine animals can easily choke or suffer from fatal bowel obstructions when they mistake personal protective equipment for food.” To add to this, 
“Like all other plastic materials, masks pose a risk to our waterways, where they’ll degrade into even smaller pieces of microplastic. When plastic breaks down, it also releases hazardous chemicals that can exacerbate oceanic acidification.”

Which really highlights the importance to properly throw away your disposable mask.

So, what can we do?

• Check to see if your local recycling facility takes disposable masks
• Designate a receptacle for used disposable masks with a lid
• Be sure to CUT THE ELASTIC STRAPS OFF each mask before throwing away
• If you work outside the medical field, consider wearing a reusable mask that can be washed.

The Hogarth are looking into a safe and environmentally friendly reusable mask for all staff to wear as this is a mandatory protocol at the Club.