WILTSHIRE Council is urging people to dispose of their single-use face masks in their household waste or in litter bins rather than dropping them in the street.
The call comes after a business waste company claimed the council was being forced to spend thousands of pounds picking up face mask litter from public places.
The bill to clean up the discarded face masks could cost the council between £20,000 and £50,000 said waste industry expert Mark Hall, of BusinessWaste.co.uk.
He said that inconsiderate litterbugs are leaving their soiled goods all over the place and is urging people to use re-usable face masks instead of single-use masks.