Large amounts of discarded PPE found polluting the planet, harming sea and wild life
According to the report, volunteers through the International Coastal Cleanup network collected 107,219 items of PPE from July to December 2020–although experts believe that number is "a vast undercount."
The Ocean Conservancy released a shocking report Tuesday that details the amount of pollution harming Oregon’s waterways from PPE that individuals use to combat the novel coronavirus.
Although the CDC recommended the use of PPE to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, the reported data reveals a brewing crisis as masks, gloves, face shield, and sanitary wipes create hazardous environments for sea-life and land-life.
According to the report, volunteers through the International Coastal Cleanup network collected 107,219 items of PPE from July to December 2020–although experts believe that number is "a vast undercount."
On the west coast alone, more than 5,000 pieces of PPE were reported by 13,000 volunteers in the last six months of 2020, according to the senior director of Ocean Conservancy’s Trash Free Seas Program Nicholas Mallos.
Volunteers recorded the data on the Conservancy’s Clean Swell app under the category ‘PPE,’ although these numbers don’t include the first six months of 2020 where data was being recorded under ‘personal hygiene.’
"Notably, the amount of personal hygiene litter recorded in the app between January and July 2020 was three times higher than what was recorded in that same time period for each of the previous three years," said Mallos in an email.
The Chief Executive Officer of Solve Oregon, Kris Carico, confirmed the vast increase in litter from PPE materials.
