Mountain of masks

Disposable masks are lifesavers but, with billions of them used every day, there are growing fears the world's landfills, roadsides, rivers and oceans could be swamped by used masks adding to the global plastic waste crisis

David Fogarty Climate Change Editor and Jonathan Pearlman For The Straits Times In Sydney
Surgical masks and rubber gloves are found mixed with household rubbish at Burangkeng dumpsite, where goats also scavenge the trash for food, in Bekasi regency, West Java. Waste sorters wrapping used masks from households at the Kramat Jati disposal
Surgical masks and rubber gloves are found mixed with household rubbish at Burangkeng dumpsite, where goats also scavenge the trash for food, in Bekasi regency, West Java. ST PHOTO: LINDA YULISMAN
Waste sorters wrapping used masks from households at the Kramat Jati disposal site in East Jakarta. It is estimated that billions of masks are used daily across the globe and this is creating a growing environmental problem that could last much longer than the pandemic. ST PHOTO: LINDA YULISMAN
Updated
Jan 09, 2021, 12:37 PM
Published
Jan 09, 2021, 05:00 AM
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When you think of the Covid-19 pandemic, one item probably symbolises it more than any other: the disposable mask.

Across the globe, mandatory mask wearing has saved countless lives and made everyday life safer.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 09, 2021, with the headline Mountain of masks. Subscribe

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