The ocean is getting polluted more. The increase in the demand of the personal protective equipment (PPE) is leading to an indirect effect on the ocean pollution.
More on this, MerPropre, a French non-profit worker for ocean clean-ups, commented “Soon there will be more masks then jellyfish in the water of Mediterranean.”
Another Facebook video by Laurent Lambard of clean-up charity showcased how disposable masks and gloves were being littered in the bottom of a sea-bed off the coast of Antibes on the French River.
The world while dealing with the pandemic has increased the pressure on ocean pollution as the waste generated is not being disposed of carefully. Divers have also been talking about the wastes including face masks, latex gloves and plastic bottles of hand sanitisers.
A lot of other conservationists are also raising alarm about the condition which might soon flood the ocean with pollution of the pandemic. The US conservationists have also raised their concern of the increasing plastic waste because of COVID-19.
World Economic Forum Webinar recently revealed that UK alone has been given around a billion of PPE between the end of February and mid-April, this year.
Moreover, a study further suggests that UK alone can lead to creation of around 66,000 tonnes of contaminated waste and 57,000 tonnes of plastic packaging if every person used a single mask a day for 1 year.
Since we are already facing a threat to our earth due to pandemic, it’s important for us to realise the impact of improper disposing of these masks and PPE into the land and water.
