COVID-19 has wreaked havoc throughout the world since 2019. In our combat against this virus, face masks became one of the most important protective gear. The global production of face masks had dramatically increased from 8 billion a year to 129 billion a month. According to the marine conservation organization OceansAsia, an estimate of 1.56 billion face masks will end up in the oceans in 2020.
Made from plastic fibers, face masks can take up to 450 years to disintegrate. Wildlife animals can be killed by entanglement or by mistakenly ingesting these masks. Microplastics had entered the food chain and plastic particles have been found in human bloodstream. The long term impact on human health has yet to be defined, but the devastating effect on the environment is already evident.
In response to the surge in mask pollution, an innovative team in Hong Kong developed biodegradable face masks. According to Alex Lee, founder of reMatter, the biodegradable masks will break down to water, carbon dioxide and other non-toxic gases upon exposure to microbes and enzymes in the landfill. More than 15% of the masks can decompose after 90 days, and the entire mask can decompose after 5 years.
While these biodegradable masks come at a higher cost, I hope to see health institutions, hospitals and clinics shift to buying such environmentally-preferable products. Apart from showing our commitment to human and planetary health, it is also an act of support to our local businesses.
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