The coronavirus pandemic has generated a surge in plastic pollution, counteracting years of efforts to tackle the issue of single-use plastics. Several recycling businesses are attempting to make a dent in this PPE tsunami. E&T looks at the processes and products these firms have developed.
Marie Bee Bloom s biodegradable face masks blossom into wildflowers
From daisies to baby s breath, Dutch brand Marie Bee Bloom has embedded flower seeds into single-use rice paper masks in a bid to cut down on plastic pollution and give back to nature.
When planted into soil and watered, the seeds start to germinate in around three days and will ultimately grow into a small patch of wildflowers.
Fabricated in a small community workshop in the Netherlands, the mask itself will biodegrade whether placed in a garden or a landfill.
Marie Bee Bloom masks can be planted in soil
The designers created the product as an alternative to disposable personal protective equipment (PPE) made from plastics, which takes up to 450 years to biodegrade and breaks down into microplastics ingested by fish, other marine life and ultimately humans.
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