Hong Kong: Discarded face masks pile up on beaches amid coronavirus scare

Weeks after the demand for face masks surged due to the deadly coronavirus epidemic, face masks are now littering Hong Kong's beaches and nature trails. According to reports, environmental groups have warned that the waste poses a great risk to marine life and wildlife habitats.

Worsening an already bad problem

Hong Kong's 7.4 million-strong population has been for weeks putting on and using single-use facemasks every-day in an effort to combat the rapidly spreading coronavirus. But according to reports, these masks are not being disposed of properly and instead are ending up dumped in the countryside or the sea.

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According to reports, these environmental groups believe that the discarded masks may have compounded the problem of the flow of marine trash from mainland China and elsewhere. The sheer quantity of discarded masks also raises concern about the spread of germs.

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As per reports, densely populated Hong Kong has long struggled with plastic wasted. The growing culture of eating out, fast food and takeaway only seem to have fueled the use of single-use plastics. Hong Kong recycles very little of its waste. Almost 70 per cent of its waste makes its way into landfills.