As a student rushes out of the building on their way to getting home, they will look around and likely find that the ground is covered with blue disposable masks from other students. In fact, there are several of them scattered as they walk around. This is something many students at A-West experience each day. This affects the planet a lot more than one may think. 

Many people think of all the impacts that COVID-19 has had on everyone on the planet, but it is unlikely one thinks about how it has affected the planet itself. Specifically, when it comes to the amount of planet waste that has come from it because

According to National Geographic, 3.4 Billion masks and face shields are thrown away every day. That is 3 to 4 masks per person. The plastic in the masks takes about 450 years to break down, which is the same amount of time that a plastic water bottle takes.

Izzy Sprenger, a sophomore that goes to A-West, had guessed that three thousand masks get thrown away each day, “that is awful for the environment” she complains. “Normally I only use black disposable masks from Costco or every once in a while cloth.”

So what can one do? Well first switch to using cloth masks and wash them between every use. It can also help that if you ever see masks scattered around pick them up and throw them into a trash can, rather the watching them lay on the ground. There are very simple ways to make things better and change the way masks affect the environment.