Surgical masks, face shields, gloves, protective equipment, and body bags - plastic waste is booming during the new Coronavirus pandemic. Governments and regular citizens are racing to fill their stockpiles with all this plastic. But it doesn't have to be this way. You can protect yourself without all this unnecessary waste. Specifically, face masks within our community don't all have to be plastic. You can change that, but first, let's examine the differences between healthcare workers' mask usage and our own. Next, learn how you can make your eco-friendly face mask. 

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) wasn't always plastic. In fact, for the majority of its existence, PPE was cloth. It was reused each time and discarded when contaminated. While newer PPE, with most made from plastic products, needs to be regularly disposed of like those our healthcare workers wear, non-healthcare workers can reuse our PPE. 

Lauren Pischel, MD, infectious disease fellows at Yale School of Medicine, adds, "Doctors cannot do social distancing when seeing patients. They need to be close to patients often for often prolonged periods, whether that is to take a history of what a patient's symptoms are, do a physical exam to look for clues about what is going, or do a procedure." Doctors are literally on the frontline. They have to touch and interact with patients physically. However, as an individual merely going to your local store, you aren't coming into close contact with anyone. When you leave your home, you can maintain social distancing with others. According to the Mayo Clinic, the general public wears masks to protect others if we cough. We do not need to throw away these masks each time we use them since we are the only ones using them. So how can you make your eco-friendly mask? 

Many companies are starting an entirely new market of personal masks. They come in all sorts of forms and styles - some even high-end designer masks. However, these masks still have an impact on the environment. You can make your mask and prevent more waste from entering our oceans. Check out these common DIY eco-friendly styles below with the attached links. 

The Cut Mask

Sourced from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhA5loCZ-Lw&feature=emb_title*

The Fold Mask

Sourced from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRZHo7sHTFY&feature=emb_title*

The Sew Mask

Sourced from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmR2P4-b2Uc*

All single-use plastic (SUP) is not bad. Nonetheless, much of the SUP we use throughout our daily lives is unnecessary. You don't need a plastic straw or a new cup every time you get a drink. But, if you are a healthcare worker, you do need new equipment between each patient to prevent the spread of pathogens. As a regular citizen, you can re-use your masks and gloves regularly. PPE protects others from you, not you from others. So you can keep making your homemade and reusable masks, and use these tips to make them better for the environment. We already have enough plastic in the ocean. 

*Note: These DIY eco-friendly masks were originally credited to the video/webpage linked. The full ownership of these steps/tutorials goes to the rightful owner linked.