Paris (AFP)

Faced with the proliferation of disposable masks, we must encourage sorting, create recycling channels and relocate production in Europe and France, advocate Thursday two deputies at the end of a parliamentary mission.

Danielle Brulebois (LREM) and Gérard Leseul (SOC) have been looking into the subject since mid-December.

It emerges that the use of masks to fight against the spread of Covid-19 resulted in between "40,000 and 100,000 tonnes of non-recycled waste in 2020 in France", said the rapporteur.

"It is our duty to look into the ecological consequences of wearing a mask," she underlined.

The problem arises for surgical masks, which have become a mainstream object, but also some fabric masks that contain polymers, she stressed.

They are a source of pollution because petroleum-based products, often imported from China, they emit nanoplastics when they degrade in nature and even when they are properly thrown in the trash, incineration or landfill is not not satisfactory solutions, according to the deputies.

"What is needed is to encourage recycling", insisted Danielle Brulebois, who notes that "the recycling of masks has not been a priority, neither for the public authorities, nor for the communities".

For Gérard Leseul, a first measure is to "promote the use of reusable masks for the general public" in order to limit waste.

The possibility of washing surgical masks "is also an interesting avenue", added Danielle Brulebois.

The deputies looked at initiatives carried out in France, such as in Tours where collection points for surgical and fabric masks have been set up, resulting in two tonnes of masks collected and job creation.

They propose to set up dedicated collection points, to set up short-circuit recycling channels that would benefit from public aid and to relocate manufacturing in Europe and France.

© 2021 AFP