UN-MASK THE EARTH
THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC BY IVY CIOLLI
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s quickly as we have noticed our planet begin to heal and wildlife inhabit their former homes, the waste component of one-time-use face masks and gloves has become overly apparent, as well. I’m sure you have noticed discarded masks, gloves, and sanitizing wipes littering the streets and parking lots of grocery stores. Those that are not picked up by store employees or sanitation workers will inevitably be picked up by a gust of wind or washed down drains to later end up in our oceans and waterways. From my perspective, it seems as though our concern for our own health doesn’t translate to the health of our environment. It only takes a minute or two to discard these landfill-bound products in a waste bin. I can’t help but think about the massive amounts of plastic and non-biodegradable products entering our landfills by the tons.
BRAINSTORMING SOLUTIONS I came into this world with the innate compassion for the environment. From a young age, I thought about how we impact our earth positively or negatively. I would collect cans
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and other recyclables and wait for my mom to take me to the local grocery store to recycle them. On one hand, I enjoyed putting cans in the recycling machines and receiving nickels, but I also felt a huge amount of pride at being a part of the solution and not the problem. It was fascinating thinking about what products those recyclables were going to be transformed into. Fast-forward to the world we live in today. Now, I am seeking to find or create a possible solution to the compounding waste problem we are currently facing. I suggest we start by calling our local grocery stores and demanding recycling or trash bins for all these disposable gloves! As stated on April 16, 2020, in the article, “Discarded coronavirus face masks and gloves rising threat to ocean life, conservationists warn” on www.independent.co.uk, “The rise in disposable face masks and gloves being used to prevent the spread of coronavirus is adding to the glut of plastic pollution threatening the health of oceans and marine life, environmentalists warn.” greenlivingaz.com
