Wigan teenager's photo project raises awareness of Covid-19's environmental impact

A teenager is raising awareness of the environmental impact of the Covid-19 pandemic by capturing stark pictures of masks that have been discarded on the streets.

Rhiann Such has been snapping images of masks which have been thrown on the ground across Wigan.

The 18-year-old, from Ince, was compelled to start the project while walking her little sister to school one morning.

Rhiann, who is studying photography at Wigan and Leigh College, said: “I saw a mask on the floor, and I thought ‘that’s not right’. Every day from then on, I saw a new mask on the floor, and I thought I’m going to photograph these.

“I decided to edit them so that the only colour you could see was the mask. They are not safe, and it’s disgusting. People need to stop discarding them.”

Rhiann felt a lot of people needed to be aware of the health risks of littering masks, not just the environmental impact.

She said: “The virus can spread through the mask being left on the floor. It’s not just a little thing, it can kill people. That’s why I decided to do something about it, and spread the message to stop it. It’s not fair.”

A new report from recycling company TradeWaste.co.uk estimates that around 20,000 tonnes of single use, non-recyclable face masks will be dumped in landfills across the UK by March. This equates to 6.3bn face masks thrown in the bin in just four months, and if the rules on mask wearing continue throughout 2021, this could top 19.2bn.

Spokesperson Charlotte Green explained: “When you put your face mask in the bin, it will most likely end up in landfill. However, it gets even worse if the face mask is either deliberately or accidentally dropped – they are blown around and end up in watercourses, rivers and eventually the ocean. This impact can have awful consequences if wildlife comes entangled in the fibres, or ear loops.”

She added: “If you can use a mask where there are no parts to throw away, then you are doing your bit to prevent excess plastic from going to landfill, and in the worst case being blown into local rivers and streams.

“If you think in a year we will dump the equivalent of 5.5 Eiffel Towers in 3.5g face masks, you’ll see the scale of the problem we are facing at the moment.”

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