COVID-19 hit the world without warning, and today everyone is struggling to stay safe. Masks and gloves have become a crucial part of everyone’s life routine. But what can we expect after the Covid-19 outbreak?
One potential outcome is that the millions of discarded face masks piling up in public areas could further pollute the world’s oceans and sewage networks, as the world’s environmentalists have warned.
As more people worldwide have donned personal protective equipment during the Covid-19 pandemic, many have resorted to dumping it on streets, parks and beaches.
Such cast-offs could potentially escalate global pollution and set back the fight against reducing plastic waste. Many disposable masks sold in pharmacies and shops contain materials that are not biodegradable, including plastics like polypropylene.
After the world pledged to ban single-use plastics, the coronavirus outbreak turned the situation around.
The use of face masks and gloves is not the only threat. More people are using single-use plastic bags in grocery stores and shopping malls due to the fear of cross-contamination.
While rubber gloves and masks are part of the line of defence against infection in the UAE, failure to dispose of them correctly could end up clogging sidewalk drains and waterways.
