Saturday, 23 January, 2021 - 06:30
A disposable face mask lies on leaves on Westminster Bridge, in
London, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020. (AP Photo)
Kuala Lampur - Asharq Al-Awsat
Medical face masks are being disposed in large quantities in nature, which has been exposing animals to significant risks such as choking.
Single-use surgical masks have been found scattered around pavements, waterways and beaches worldwide since countries began mandating their use in public places to slow the pandemic's spread. The thin protective materials can take hundreds of years to decompose.
"Face masks aren't going away any time soon - but when we throw them away, these items can harm the environment and the animals who share our planet," Ashley Fruno of animal rights group PETA told AFP.