COVID waste is killing animals - how to pick COVID PPE litter safely
26 Mar 2021
How many times have you stepped over someone else's lost or discarded facemask crushed in the dirt beneath your feet, grimaced and thought "how disgusting!" Were you even tempted to pick it up and dispose of it properly? Did your mind lead you to the thought that this is going to become a real issue? We have all thought it. In our hearts, we all knew it. And yes... it already IS a REAL problem. That casually discarded PPE litter even the most nature conscious of us would hesitate to touch is already killing wildlife and domestic animals indiscriminately.
Image: Bird nest made with face mask and glove Credit: Auke-Florian Hiemstra
Face masks and gloves designed to protect us are, in fact, dangerous for the animals around us. Scientists from Leiden warn that throughout the world, on land and in the water, animals are ingesting corona waste, or getting entangled in it. The two biologists are asking for everybody’s help to better identify the consequences.
If you collect littered face coverings or PPE, handle these with care. Dispose of them in a ‘black bag’ bin, not in a recycling bin. You should use safety equipment, including thick gloves, litter-pickers and heavy-duty bags. Read further information on the Keep Britain Tidy website.
UK government guidance, Coronavirus (COVID-19): disposing of waste
It all started when litter researchers found a perch in the canals of Leiden that had become caught up in a latex glove. As far as we know, this was the first Dutch victim of corona waste. Since then, they have been trying to obtain an overall picture of the consequences of the corona waste mountain on animals.
Image: Researchers Liselotte Rambonnet and Auke-Florian Hiemstra with bird nest Credit: Alexander Schippers
Biologists Auke-Florian Hiemstra from Naturalis Biodiversity Center and Liselotte Rambonnet from Leiden University started a quest to determine how often and where interactions between corona waste and animals occur. They collected observations from Brazil to Malaysia and from social media to local newspapers and international news websites. A fox in the United Kingdom, birds in Canada, hedgehogs, seagulls, crabs, and bats – it transpired that all sorts of animals, everywhere, become entangled in face masks.
The diversity of wildlife affected is considerable
Image: American robin entangled in face mask Credit: Sandra Denisuk
They found reports about apes chewing on face masks, and about a penguin with a face mask in its stomach. Pets too, especially dogs, were found to swallow face masks. “Animals become weakened due to becoming entangled or starve due to the plastic in their stomach,” Rambonnet emphasizes. The diversity of animals influenced by corona waste is considerable. “Vertebrates and invertebrates on land, in freshwater, and in seawater become entangled or trapped in corona waste,” says Hiemstra.
In their overview article in the journal Animal Biology, they also write that some animals use the waste as nest material. For example, coots in Dutch canals use face masks and gloves as nest material. “And the packaging from paper handkerchiefs is found in nests too. As such, we even see the symptoms of COVID-19 in animal structures,” says Hiemstra.
Citizen Science
The scientists from Leiden were able to create their overview thanks to the observations of photographers, litter collectors, birdwatchers, wildlife rescue centers, and veterinarians who shared the observations via social and traditional media.
Image: Perch trapped in glove Credit: Auke-Florian Hiemstra
“As a result of this, we can learn more about the impact of this category of disposable products on wildlife. We therefore ask people to keep sharing their observations so that we can maintain an up-to-date overview,” said Rambonnet.
To facilitate this, the duo has set up the website www.covidlitter.com. Rambonnet and Hiemstra hope that this overview will increase people’s awareness of the danger of face masks and gloves for wildlife. Furthermore, they call upon everybody to use reusable face masks.
The original research paper, 'The effects of COVID-19 litter on animal life' is available via Animal Biology.
How to dispose of your COVID PPE safely
If you need to throw away used face coverings or PPE, such as gloves:
- dispose of them in your ‘black bag’ waste bin at home or at work, or a litter bin if you’re outside
- do not put them in a recycling bin as they cannot be recycled through conventional recycling facilities
- take them home with you if there is no litter bin - do not drop them as litter
You do not need to:
- put them in an extra bag
- store them for a time before throwing them away
Extract from the UK government guidance
Be a #LitterHero in the UK
Everyone can do their part in the effort to avoid the unnecessary death of wildlife and domestic animals through litter - whether that be COVID PPE or any other discarded waste. You can join the thousands of people who support the work of Keep Britain Tidy by volunteering for #LitterHeroes - a year-round army of litter pickers, or organising or signing up to support a litter picking event.
In line with government guidelines to ‘stay at home’ you should only litter-pick during your recreation or exercise activity. Please do so alone, with one other person or in your household or support bubble, and ensure you have protective equipment including a litter-picker and gloves.
Keep Britain Tidy
If you see litter you can report it to your local council.
You can carry out voluntary litter-picking. If you do this with other people you must follow the guidance on staying safe outside your home.
If you collect littered face coverings or PPE, handle these with care. Dispose of them in a ‘black bag’ bin, not in a recycling bin. You should use safety equipment, including thick gloves, litter-pickers and heavy-duty bags. Read further information on the Keep Britain Tidy website.
Extract from the UK government guidance
Be a #LitterHero globally
If you wish to join a litter picking event outside of the UK, please visit The Great Global Cleanup website.
