Social distancing, curfews, restrictions and mandatory masks have all become a part of the ‘new normal’, but as a result, so too has an increase in single-use plastic pollution.
Cafes are turning away reusable cups to limit the spread of germs, restaurants are churning out more takeaway orders than ever in single-use packaging, and everyday civilians are using and throwing away single-use masks designed for healthcare workers.
All the work we’d done in the past few years on plastic pollution and reusable education has seemingly gone by the wayside recently. We now know that if we continue consuming, using and tossing away single-use masks at the rate we currently are, there’ll be more masks in the ocean than jellyfish within a matter of months.
If you want to #stopthespread and save our seas in the process, the best thing you can do is buy a reusable face mask made with natural materials.
FACT: Your mask does not need to be made with polyester if you’re an everyday civilian like me.
The Australian Government Department of Health guidelines have confirmed, repeatedly, that cloth face masks are suitable for us everyday folk, with two layers a minimum, and three layers for better protection. Cloth masks need to be washed daily, and even if you’re wearing a mask, all the standard social distancing rules still apply.
Multiple national and international medical-based studies have concluded that ‘during a pandemic, wearing a two or three-layered home-made cloth mask may reduce transmission of respiratory droplets by infected individuals and protect healthy individuals from inhaling droplets.’
It’s also widely affirmed that ‘washable, reusable fabrics such as cotton reduce adverse environmental effects of widespread use of disposable, non-biodegradable face masks.’
Beyond my own opinion and beyond my own ultimatum to inspire you to create positive social and environmental change, the benefits of using and reusing a cloth mask is backed by the Australian Government and multiple medical sources world-wide.
Our two-layer and three-layer masks are not only Australian Government Department of Health guideline-approved and safe for everyday wear, but they're also super cute, sustainable, locally made, washable, reusable, plastic-free, elastic-free and biodegradable.
Let's not solve one problem and create another with single-use masks. Choose to reuse and shop our sustainable masks here.
Claire x
