Single use facemasks and gloves is the new source of pollution caused by the pandemic of Covid-19. Everyday, each and everyone of us witnesses single use facemasks not being discarded properly and thus ending up on the roads, public transportation, parks, mainly everywhere. Drifted by air these materials end up on the beach and eventually in the seas and oceans. Single use facemask include plastic particles, meaning that even more plastic is finding its way into the marine environment and possibly becomes food for marine species and vulnerable marine species like sea turtles.
MEDASSET has launched a dedicated campaign to raise awareness on coastal and marine pollution in 2015 under the title “Clean Seas: Swear to Care!”. The campaign included beach cleanups, promoting sustainable operation to hotels, educational activities as well as ATL communication activities to leverage awareness on the important problem of coastal and marine pollution.
Three tv spots have been produced to spread the message of clean seas leading to a healthier life, through the change of our everyday habits like: stop using single use plastics or stop leaving your litter on the beach.
TV Spot 2015: https://youtu.be/fwEMoY-ma2g
TV Spot 2018: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFuUf1vr_9Q
The Covid-19 pandemic, that changed our everyday lives and led to this new source of pollution (single use facemasks and gloves), urged us to create a new tv spot focused on this issue.
Some facts:
- According to the United Nations 570.000 tons of plastic end up in the Mediterranean Sea every year[1]https://www.euronews.com/, Will plastic pollution get worse after the COVID-19 Pandemic?, https://www.euronews.com/2020/05/12/will-plastic-pollution-get-worse-after-the-covid-19-pandemic.
- A research demonstrated that if every citizen uses only 1 single use facemask for a year, this concludes to an extra 57.000 tons of plastic into the sea[2]https://www.weforum.org/, How face masks, gloves and other Coronavirus waste is polluting our ocean, https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/06/ppe-masks-gloves-coronavirus-ocean-pollution/.
- A research by WWF demonstrated that if 1% of the single use facemasks are not properly disposed for a year, this equals to 10.000.000 masks per month that pollute the environment[3]euronews.com as above.
Please see our tv spot below currently only in Greek (soon with English subtitles).
One thing is certain: No turtle needs a mask!
References
