The Mask Dilemma
I have worn a mask every day for a year. In Hong Kong, reusable alternatives are frowned upon because they don’t give the same protection as medical masks, which are all single-use. As the pandemic started, the Hong Kong population all started to wear masks daily. The government made no ruling and yet everyone wore one without fail. I later learned that this was because of their experience with SARS years earlier. I was amazed at this sense of community and it wasn’t just everyone looking out for themselves, but people wearing them to give each other peace of mind. Masks were in such high demand; the supply couldn’t keep up. So, we were asked to bring back as many disposable masks as we could from our last time we travelled to South Africa. This mask shortage didn’t last very long and soon there was news of mask factories and imports springing up all over the place. The mask industry has boomed since then and so has my curiosity. I wanted to find some answers to a few questions: How much has the industry grown by? How is the waste being managed? Are these masks recyclable?
The disposable mask market has exploded and in Hong Kong, there are permanent storefronts that specialise in masks with different designs on them. When the pandemic first started, I didn’t think that it was going to last this long, and I was very surprised to see stores like MaskLab opening up and replacing a store like Swatch. The rent must be expensive and yet they obviously felt like it was a good business decision to open multiple stores around Hong Kong. Some of the mask stores opening have viewing areas where the customer can watch them make the masks.
The protective face mask market is expected to grow from $737 Million to about $22 Billion by 2021, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 448.1% between these periods. One source even suggested that it may grow to $166 Billion. The market is then expected to level out at about $3 Billion in 2025. These are staggering numbers, and it shows that entering the market to get a small piece of the pie may be worth it. The big players in the industry were really struggling to keep up with demand at the beginning, and this opened the door for new manufacturers. With the enticement of such high profit margins, people began to repurpose their factories. This caused a few problems; people were so desperate for masks that they weren’t checking if they were made properly. Many factories weren’t hygienic which defeated the purpose of the masks. I think everything seems to have calmed down now and the manufacturers seem to be meeting the health requirements.
Now, are these masks causing an environmental problem? The answer is yes. The number of photos and news articles on the topic is staggering. It is estimated that 75% of masks and other pandemic related waste will end up in landfills or the ocean. This would obviously affect wildlife as well as tourism in tropical destinations. Masks are appearing all over our beaches and clean up missions have increased. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) disposing of the contaminated waste incorrectly can lead to contaminated drinking water if the landfills aren’t properly constructed. They recommend that medical waste be incinerated, but only according to their guidelines. If incineration is done incorrectly, it can lead to air pollution and adverse health effects. The problem with doing this correctly is many countries don’t have the infrastructure to cope with the amount of waste. They say that,
This seems like a high benchmark and I don’t see many nations adhering to it, meaning this waste could be a concern for a while.
How do we manage this waste? People from around the world have been coming up with ideas to solve the problem, but it may take some time to implement them on a large scale. One group in Hong Kong came up with an app called Tap Tap Environment which incentivises teens to identify and dispose of medical waste correctly. A French company called Plaxtil who used to recycle old clothing pivoted from their original MO to masks. They now recycle masks by turning them into their material, Plaxtil, a durable ecological plastic. They make products that can be used in textiles and other industries. Think of any multiple use product made out of plastic, but now it’s been recycled. Another initiative is TerraCycle, a company based in the US that seems to recycle just about anything. They send you a box after you specify what you need to recycle and then you send it back. They recycle everything from masks and disposable equipment to basketballs. The only problem is that it’s extremely expensive. To send them one box of masks to recycle will cost you $88, and I don’t think the majority of people care enough about the environment to pay that much.
We have had a huge increase in waste, and we don’t really know what to do with it. After China stopped accepting the world's recyclables in early 2018, countries are trying to find alternatives. With an enormous surge in single-use plastics, I’m not sure what the solution is. The only advice that’s given is to separate your single-use Covid waste from the rest of your waste and seal it in a bag when you dispose of it. Cut the elastic ear loops of your masks to minimise possible animal harm. Look for good quality multiuse alternatives and hopefully the people in charge of disposing of all of this finds a solution.