The UK will consume 19.2 billion single non-recyclable face masks in 2021. Most of these will be sent to landfill, the weight equivalent of 5 Eiffel Towers. Some will end up in watercourses causing an environmental nightmare. A new campaign has been launched in an attempt to reduce this number.
“It’s really important to consider the wider impact of single-use face masks as they can’t easily be recycled and end up in landfill, in rivers and the sea – that’s why we are supporting a new petition on the Government to ban their sale to the general public”, explains Charlotte Green from commercial recycling company TradeWaste.co.uk
It should be noted that the petition is specific in that it is not asking the Government to completely ban their sale, they have an important role in medical situations, and where use is controlled, they can be recycled – although this is not always easy.
What 19.2 billion single use face masks in numbers looks like:
- 52,602,739 a day
- 1,578,082,191 a month
“We are promoting the petition to raise awareness of the environmental problems created by single use face masks, and also to offer an alternative to those worried about the harm cause to wildlife and the impact on the environment in the UK”, explains Green.
The Petition will be discussed in Parliament when it reaches 100,000 signatures. The aim of the campaign is to hit this number before the end of 2020 in an attempt to slow down the consumption of disposable masks, and encourage washable alternatives.
A link to the Petition is available here:
“We know the consequences of their use, and funnily enough the alternative is actually cheaper – we just need to get the word out that single use face masks just get buried in the ground and that isn’t acceptable!”, concludes Charlotte Green from commercial recycling company TradeWaste.co.uk
Ditch your Disposable Face Mask and save £190 in 2021
- A single use disposable face mask costs 18p
- Over a year using 3 per day this is £197.10
- A washable face mask costs £1.40 (Pack of 5 is £6.99)
- If you can use 5 masks by washing them, then over a year this is a saving of £190.11