MANILA, Philippines — From exclusively for hospital use, face masks are now undeniably an everyday necessity.
But while face masks protect people from deadly diseases like COVID-19, there are, however, lives that are put into danger with the kinds of masks that are mostly used these days. They may save mankind, but these masks can kill different kinds of lives other than man's in the long run.
Surgical masks and N95 masks are not biodegradable, and since these take tens and thousands of years to decompose, these can threaten the lives of sea creatures, who might mistake these masks as food. Such surgical waste can backlash by polluting man's sources of food and livelihood from the seas, oceans, rivers and other bodies of water.
Did you know that masks and COVID-19 essentials like gloves and bottles of hand sanitizers are now contributing to the continuous and insurmountable problem of ocean pollution across the globe?
The French non-profit organization Operation Mer Propre did its regular litter picking along the Cote d'Azur in France early this year and found these "COVID wastes" mixed in with disposable cups and aluminum caps.
The surge of COVID-19 wastes could add up to the 13,000 tons of plastic that goes into the oceans every year, according to a recent United Nations Environment estimate.
This number can be lessened, though.
Project POCEAN is among those who have been working at reducing these numbers. The team is composed of King's College of London students who researched for months before finally conceptualizing the idea of making biodegradable abaca fiber masks for its Series I collection.
The good news is, these masks are made here in the Philippines, in the Bicol region, which is known as the top producer of abaca as confirmed by the Philippine Statistics Authority in its quarterly report from July to September 2020. It said that Bicol Region is still the top abaca fiber producer with 8.71 thousand metric tons or 43.7 percent of production for that quarter.
In an article by Bloomberg Green (July 2020), a preliminary study by the Department of Science and Technology found abaca paper to be "more water resistant compared to commercial N95 masks." It also found that the abaca paper's pore sizes falls "within the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention's recommended range to filter hazardous particles."
Abaca fiber is durable as a polyester and decomposes within 2 months. These are qualities that make a good mask, in addition to the fact that abaca masks can be washed and reused for up to four months.
Project POCEAN's initiative has created a three-pronged approach to valuing life — the life of the mask wearer, the livelihood of the farmers and artisans of Bicol, and the lives of sea creatures, oceans, seas and bodies of water.
In addition, a portion of each sale of the mask will be set aside for the students of the Dumagat tribe. Project POCEAN also plans to invest the profit from the masks into a "Sea-bin," which essentially demonstrates a conscientious effort to preserve life by producing eco-friendly masks and spending in a program that collects all the wastes thrown into the ocean and seas.
The pandemic has reminded man that life — that ability to be able to breathe virus-free air — is the most precious valuable he can ever have. But it is better to know that there are many forms of life that abound in this wonderful world called Earth and as stewards of the planet, it is important for man to note that all lives are worth the air they breathe.
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