Benalla encouraged to keep town clean of discarded face masks

The man, who takes daily walks to the Botanical Gardens said he had counted at least 58 masks laying on the ground since they were introduced in response to the virus last year.

But more concerning was the spike in the past fortnight, he said, with his tally going from 37 to 51 in the space of a day.

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“We need to educate the public somehow,” he said.

“They are multiplying and it's a shame we are doing this to a lovely place like Benalla.

“I'm mainly seeing them around the main street.”

The man said the nature of COVID-19 made it more difficult to want to clean up the litter.

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“I won't be picking it up, because you don't know who may have it or what they are bringing with them – it can be a danger to people who pick them,” he said.

In a study published in an Environmental Science and Technology journal, an estimated 194 billion disposable masks and gloves are being used globally every month as a result of the coronavirus pandemic - meaning it won't just be Benalla affected by this environmental issue.

With most disposable masks made from plastics like polypropylene, polyethylene and vinyl – recycling.vic.gov.au stated that disposable face masks cannot be recycled, and must be disposed of in a rubbish bin.

It is recommended to cut the ear loops with scissors before disposing of the mask to prevent it from endangering wildlife.

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Contaminated masks should also be disposed of in a double-bagged bin.

The resident said he encouraged everyone to continue to make sure Benalla stayed a lovely place to live.

“I want to make the world a better place, not just for me, but for everything and we should all do our bit,” he said.

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