It is the subject of much covetousness, and sometimes even of stock-outs, but there is little question about its ecological consequences: what impact has the disposable mask intended to curb epidemics, including that of coronavirus, on the planet ? The question is all the more pressing since there is currently no dedicated recycling channel for this object. Authorities recommend throwing them in closed plastic bags in the normal trash.
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A danger for marine species
As their use explodes and we begin to see dirty masks thrown on the ground, on the sidewalk or in the wild, the sea protection NGO Surfrider Foundation is sounding the alarm bell, calling as quickly as possible to set up a recovery system. "The impact of a mask, like any plastic product, will be triple for biodiversity," says the organization's spokesperson, Antidia Citores.
"If it is thrown on the ground, it will end up, either carried by the wind, or through the water cycle, in the gutters," she explains. "And marine species will confuse it with their prey, as they do for plastic bags or gloves, which were also used quite a lot during this period."
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"Chemical sponges"
But this impact on animals is not the only danger noted by the NGO. "The second effect is that these plastics tend to be sponges with chemicals, endoctrinian disruptors, and will latently have this capacity to diffuse products harmful to the environment in the marine environment", explains spokesperson. And to add: "They are also vectors of virus transport!"
Plastic is even one of the materials the Covid-19 would survive the longest on. According to the Surfrider Foundation, it is therefore best, as far as possible, to use cloth masks.