COVID-19 side effects: How PPE is affecting the environment
Lauren Lukacs
Through the rise of COVID-19, it is no shock that the sales of medical masks have increased 319% from March 2019 to May 2020. According to a webinar hosted by the Green Party in July, we are disposing of 129 billion face masks and 65 billion plastic gloves per month. This was not always the case.
Before the 1980s personal protective equipment or PPE was made to be reusable and sustainable. Production companies soon switched to making PPE single-use to increase sales.
By making PPE single-use, it meant it had to be purchased more often and in bulk. Due to the increase in supply, the price of sustainable masks climbed, as the price of single-use lowered. Masks and other PPE are undoubtedly necessary but are becoming a growing contributor to climate change.
To begin, the manufacturing of said masks is rooted in pollution. These masks are produced by clear-cutting trees and draining propene oil. The filters in masks are created from polypropylene, a chemical compound derived from propene oil.
The next big issue surrounding this topic is disposal. While polypropylene is regarded as safe for humans and as one of the more environmentally friendly plastics, no plastic is truly sustainable.
Polypropylene breaks down relatively quickly, but releases many toxins in this process. Polypropylene can only break down to a certain extent, which is most commonly the microplastic state. Microplastics are described as plastic particles smaller than 5mm. These types of plastics are especially harmful, as they are more likely to infiltrate groundwater and be mistaken as food by animals.
The accessibility of proper disposal tools can be an issue for people, as used PPE cannot go in regular trash bins. They must be disposed of in a specific way, especially if they are a contamination hazard.
Used face masks are supposed to be double-bagged in small bags before being tied up and placed in the regular garbage, or a special waste control container. PPE that could have possibly come into contact with the coronavirus needs to have a contamination label displayed as well. Masks should, in no circumstance, end up in landfills or recycling bins, due to the difficulty surrounding decomposition.
Litter is also another major issue regarding the disposal. Masks and other “Covid Waste” have been found littered throughout the ocean, with Laurent Lombard predicting that “we’ll soon run the risk of having more masks than jellyfish in the Mediterranean.”
Mask and other PPE take 450 years to decompose and break down into microplastics.
Unfortunately, most plastic does not end up where it should, often finding its way into oceans, groundwater, and other habitats. Microplastics in groundwater often find their way into agricultural fields, and our crops and livestock’ food and water supply.
PPE is undoubtedly important, especially with the amount of COVID-19 cases rising, but it’s important to consider the effect of disposable vs. reusable.
Lauren Lukacs is a writer for VAYCC’s press team.
