Cut the Straps: Protect wildlife and cut the loops on the side of face masks before disposal

Though wearing face masks is necessary to minimize the spread of COVID-19, single-use surgical masks can harm the environment if they aren’t disposed of properly. 

According to researchers with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, marine animals can mistake personal protective equipment, like face masks and gloves, for food. The masks’ straps are especially harmful, as animals can easily choke on or consume them, leading to fatal bowel obstructions.

Reusable masks are a safer alternative than single-use masks for reducing the pandemic’s environmental footprint. But cutting the ear straps on surgical masks before throwing them away can prevent wildlife from getting tangled in them if the masks end up in the environment. If the straps aren’t snipped, the loops can easily catch onto an animal’s legs or wings.

“It’s kind of like the same thing if you cut off those plastic soda rings,” sophomore and strap-cutter Parker Limanek said. “If animals can be strangled by those, it kind of makes sense that they can be trapped by masks in the same way.”

In comparison to last year, 2020 is expected to have 30%  more waste, according to the Journal of Environmental Science and Technology. The majority of this waste will end up in the environment and make its way into rivers and oceans, where it can threaten marine life with both physical entanglement and the polluting chemicals they release.

A study from the Journal found that people are using and throwing out an estimated 129 billion disposable masks and 65 billion disposable gloves every month, worldwide. Some PPE are reported to have a lifespan of up to 450 years, so this surplus of trash will have a long-lasting effect on the environment.

Masks and other plastic materials can also end up in waterways, breaking down into microplastics and releasing harmful chemicals into the ocean. It’s expected that 75% of used masks and other pandemic-related waste will end up in landfills or the ocean, according to the United Nations News.

Though they are made of plastic, used face masks shouldn’t be recycled, as they could be contaminated and may indirectly transmit the virus. To safely dispose of masks, clip the loops before throwing them in the normal trash.