Who could’ve ever predicted that masks would become the next big polluter?!⁣
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Disposable gloves, masks and hand sanitizer bottles are now being found in large numbers in the ocean, or simply discarded on the streets.⁣
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In Australia, surgical masks started washing up on the east coast after a cargo ship lost containers in rough seas.⁣
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It’s so gross picking up someone else’s mask… I don’t have a litter picker, so I either use a stick or my hands (and then clean my hands immediately afterwards). I know that this is a risk I’m taking, but I do my best to manage the risk.⁣
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Disposable masks contain polypropylene, which is plastic. So the same concerns about degradation, ingestion by marine animals, and absorption of toxins like oil apply.⁣
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So, please, take some fabric, borrow or buy a needle and thread and sew your own. Plenty of how-to videos on YouTube. ⁣
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Alternatively, please buy a reusable mask online.⁣
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𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞. ⁣
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𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘈𝘕𝘋 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵.⁣