Without a doubt, COVID-19 has taken over our lives this past year. This virus infiltrated our schools, workplaces, and personal lives, and has led to some extreme changes to our lifestyles. 

Back in April, in the early stages of quarantine, a popular notion that there are environmental benefits from COVID-19 emerged. As people stayed home due to the lockdown, the environment was slowly recuperating due to the lack of carbon emissions and pollution. Satellite images have revealed that the daily global carbon emissions were down 17%. Even the murky waters of the Venice canals were clearer than before as a result of the measures taken in response to the virus. 

However, this spark of positivity amidst the pandemic was short lived. As restrictions were lifted and the world slowly began to move towards normalcy, the carbon emissions bounced back to the same level as before. This change was inevitable, because people needed to get back to a somewhat normal life after months of quarantine. But one effect of reopening the world is a greater disruption to the Earth’s environment. Part of this problem may lie in something that we have all grown accustomed to during this pandemic: PPE.

PPE, or personal protective equipment, has soared in demand as the possibility of contracting the virus required everyone to wear masks and other protective gear like gloves when going out in public. Masks are now considered an extra article of clothing that we cannot leave the house without. Clearly, PPE is effective in protecting the wearer from the virus, but there is a growing concern about its effect on the environment.

Most PPE, like masks and gloves, are disposable and can only be used for a short period of time. Around 130 billion disposable masks and 65 billion gloves are disposed worldwide every month. These essentials cannot be recycled, which has led to an issue that must be addressed: plastic pollution. Disposable masks are made from polypropylene which takes hundreds of years to decompose. 75% of these materials are estimated to eventually find themselves in landfills or dumped in the ocean. There has been litter on streets and sidewalks due to people carelessly disposing of their PPE. 

One major environmental concern from PPE is the welfare of marine animals and our oceans. Disposed masks have been found washed up in the shores of many beaches around the world. Not only does this affect the pollution in our oceans, but marine animals mistake PPE for food, causing them to ingest plastic. 

A solution to this growing concern is to find an effective, alternate to consuming too many PPE products. One way is to use reusable, cloth masks that can be bought or homemade. These masks can be washed and used multiple times. Another solution is to instruct and educate people on how to properly dispose of PPE after use. These options can help us stay safe while keeping the environment safe as well.

PPE will remain an essential part of our lives until the threat of COVID-19 passes. The question of whether the environment will suffer from an extensive misuse of these products remains up to us.