Face masks have become ubiquitous over the last year and a half.  And so have abandoned face masks littering our sidewalks, parks and oceans. With an estimated 129 billion face masks used each month, how can we protect the health of ourselves and others while also being eco-friendly?

Find out in this episode with Charnett Chau, a research fellow at University College London's Plastic Waste Innovation Hub. Charnett talks us through the environmental impacts of single-use versus reusable masks, and how a simple choice between the two can have an enormous effect on greenhouse gas emissions and waste production. 

Read more about UCL's studies on face masks here: https://ucl.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.14324/111.444/000031.v3, https://ucl.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.14324/111.444/000031.v1, and about the Plastic Waste Innovation Hub here: https://www.plasticwastehub.org.uk/.

Other references: https://news.mit.edu/2021/covid-masks-environment-0720, https://sustainability.yale.edu/blog/masks-footprints-down-how-keep-your-masks-eco-friendly, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/03/210310122431.htm, https://www.adimay.com/2020/08/face-masks-social-and-environmental-impacts/

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