Pennsylvania authorities are urging people to stop abandoning coronavirus protective masks in the state’s streams in response to a litter problem. For months, people have been littering masks in trails, parking lots, beaches, and other locations around the world – leaving behind unsightly pollution that can harm wildlife. A Nashville nonprofit that promotes reusing old materials for creative projects began urging residents to use washable masks in October after mask litter became a problem in the city. The Environmental Protection Agency weighed in with a public service announcement in March urging Americans to throw out their masks – not litter or try to recycle them. Discarded masks were found floating in the Mediterranean Sea back in June, floating like jellyfish, the Guardian reported at the time.

Source: Fox News December 31, 2020 02:37 UTC