Public urged to dispose of single-use PPE responsibly

Reports of face coverings littering the Island

Government is urging the public to dispose of single-use face coverings responsibly.

It's after reports of 'concerning' amounts of PPE ending up in the Island's glens, rivers and beaches.

During the circuit breaker lockdown face coverings have been strongly advised in public places in order to reduce the spread of the virus.

Geoffrey Boot MHK, Minister for Environment, Food and Agriculture, said: ‘Face coverings play an important role and should be used, but all single-use items must be disposed of responsibly in a bin to protect our environment.'

‘We must prevent them from littering our countryside, our beautiful beaches, and entering the sea - to keep our Biosphere and the people and wildlife that live within it safe.’

The guidance is in line with the Isle of Man Community Plastics Plan that aims to protect the environment by significantly reducing the amount of plastic entering the sea.

Dr Henrietta Ewart, Director of Public Health, said: ‘Face coverings provide some protection from transmission of the virus as they cover the nose and mouth and reduce droplet spread.

'Most of the evidence indicates that wearing a face covering will protect those around you from inadvertent spread should you be infected.'

‘There is now increasing evidence that wearing a face covering offers some protection to you from infection by others.  They do not replace the need to follow social distancing and practice good hand hygiene but they are a useful addition to reducing the risk of infection.’

Jaime Amoedo from PlasticBusters, said: ‘Since the start of the pandemic we have seen a concerning surge of single-use plastic masks and gloves littering glens, rivers and beaches.'

‘Fighting the pandemic should not come at the cost of further polluting our environment, and we encourage people to dispose of such items responsibly and wear reusable ones when possible.’

Bill Dale BEM, from Beach Buddies, said: ‘During the current lockdown we have seen small quantities of single-use face coverings, not only on beaches but all around the Island. However, it does appear that the vast majority of people are disposing of masks and gloves responsibly. We sincerely hope this continues.’