Using the concept of circular economy to reduce the environmental impact of COVID-19 face mask waste

ABSTRACT: COVID-19 pandemic has posed severe threats to the society globally. World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines suggest that people wear face masks as a precautionary measure daily. This has resulted in the generation of massive amounts of mask-associated waste in the environment. Owing to the criticality of the epidemic, there has not been a large-scale investigation on where to discard masks, making this situation daunting. As the pandemic continues, the use of masks continues to increase; repeated use and disposal of masks has become an imperative issue. Most disposable masks comprise chemical fibers in the filter layer. Without proper treatment and disposal, these large amounts of chemical waste will eventually flow into rivers or oceans, leading to serious pollution. Therefore, to redu

SUBMITTER: Hou E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9355742 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature