How do you dispose of your mask? Do you think that the way you dispose of it does not affect the environment?

The increase in the use of masks, plus the activation of various sectors and the freedom that many people have to leave home with all the precautions of biosecurity, has promoted that recreational places such as beaches and rivers are visited again, leaving the trail of these visits with waste such as disposable masks.

Returning to economic activation was something that many of us were looking forward to, however we are not carrying out the due process when disposing of it, we forget that it is another plastic that contains toxic elements, not at all environmentally friendly.

As explained by Professor Arturo Ariño, director of the Department of Environmental Biology at the University of Navarra, “disposable surgical masks have 3 layers. The outer layer is made of a material that is called hydrophobic and repels water, the one in contact with the face is much softer, but the inner layer is made of a type of material known as hot-blown and is created with micro and nano fibers”.

“Both in the manufacturing process and in the disintegration, there can be residues of the mask due to the effect on the environment” which takes up to 450 years to degrade and the small plastic fragments it contains never disappear completely, added Ariño.

There is no scientific study that proves which mask is more environmentally friendly, they all contain a large amount of plastic that as we mentioned does nothing but damage to the environment, so we must be aware of its use and due process when throwing it away, never leave it in a free space or leave it on the street, we must all contribute and help take care of our planet; Remember that you can also use reusable masks, since you can reuse them several times, washing them after each use, and thus you join to reduce the environmental impact by the use of this element that protects us.