Face masks people have been using as a protection against coronavirus is becoming a threat.
Piles and piles of one-time usage mask are filling beaches and natural trails in Hong Kong.
The environmental groups are now warning people because this is causing a huge threat to wild and marine life.
After the outbreak of coronavirus, 7.4 million people of Hong Kong have been using a single time use masks to keep themselves protected.
While 126 people have been found infected and 3 people have already died because of the virus, people have been very conscious about the masks.
But the massive population is not able to throw away the masks in the right way.
These masks rather than the dumping yard, are being discarded in the countryside and on the beaches.
Now, this brings out a massive threat as marine creatures and wild animals can easily confuse the masks as food and eat them.
Environmental groups are already tensed with the trash flowing in from mainland China, now are also worried about the new clutter.
The groups are also concerned that this can spread the germs even more.
Founder of Oceans Asia, an environmental group, Gary Stokes says “We have had a heavy inflow of masks for last 6 to 8 weeks. Now the inflow of this trash has started showing its effect on the environment.”
Stokes talked about Soko islands, the inhabitant island where he found over 70 masks in a stretch of 100 m of land.
He cleaned it up and when he went back to the place after a week, he found 30 more new masks.
He said that this is not the only beach with this story but almost all the beaches around have the same story to tell.
Hong Kong’s struggle with plastic waste has been there for years and years.
The prime reason for the use of one time plastic waste is the culture of eating out and taking away food parcels.
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