Ditch your Disposable Face Mask and save £190 in 2021

A simple face mask “hack” of swapping disposable single use face masks for washable ones will save the average person £190 in 2021 – and reduce the amount of non-recyclable masks being send to landfill – the weight equivalent of 5 Eiffel Towers.

“Lets face it, we will be wearing face masks throughout 2021, so now is the time to swap single use masks for washable ones – the cost saving is £190 for a year, a huge amount of money for many people this Christmas”, explains Charlotte Green from recycling company TradeWaste.co.uk

• A single use disposable face mask costs 18p
• Over a year using 3 per day this is £197.10
• A washable face mask costs £1.40 (Pack of 5 is £6.99)
• If you can use 5 masks by washing them, then over a year this is a saving of £190.11

“The saving is more than monetary value though, because in 2021 the UK we will send 19.2 billion face masks to landfill – that’s 5 times the weight of the Eiffel Tower – the numbers are absolutely terrifying”, explains Green

What can we do to prevent environmental harm caused by disposable face masks?

The main thing to remember is that if we choose an alternative before buying a disposable mask then we have prevented manufacture and therefore halted much of the environmental harm.

The main issue with disposable masks is that they cannot be efficiently recycled, and therefore many of the billions of masks we use simply end up being buried in the ground.

TradeWaste.co.uk recommends the following alternatives:

1. Buy a washable face mask made from either recycled materials or washable cotton
2. Use a paper facemask that can be recycled – these are becoming more widely available
3. Use a recycling service which accepts disposable face masks made from plastic, such as dust masks, FFP2 (or so-called “N95”), FFP3 and surgical masks – this is the best option for medical users

“The important message we are putting out is simple – Stop buying single use face masks, and use washable ones instead – we are facing an environmental disaster – and the alternative will save you £190; it’s a no brainer”, concludes Charlotte Green from recycling company TradeWaste.co.uk