COVID-19 has led to a massive increase in single-use plastic via surgical masks, PPE’s, and plastic takeaway food containers. According to the Thailand Environment Institute, “plastic waste has increased from 1,500 tons to 6,300 tons per day, owing to soaring home deliveries of food.” Most of this plastic is not even recycled and ends up in landfills where it takes 1000s of years to decompose. While also releasing harmful toxins and microplastics into the atmosphere. A lot of the plastic also ends up in our oceans, rivers, and lakes, where it affects marine life, tourism, and marine transportation, all of which will cost an estimated $40 billion each year according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
One way that you can help us avoid this catastrophe is by wearing a CLOTH MASK instead of a plastic surgical mask.
Wearing a CLOTH mask is your #IndividualSocialResponsibility in our fight to protect the environment.
Source:
Duer, Jacob. “The Plastic Pandemic Is Only Getting Worse during COVID-19.” World Economic Forum, 1 July 2020.
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