‘Use cloth masks and help us save the environment’

As masks become part of our daily lives, and more and more people turn to wearing them to comply with the new rules, discarded used masks in parks and pavements are becoming a common sight.

Naomi Betts, founder of Community Mask Trees, is determined to put an end to this, by promoting the use of washable masks instead.

She said: “While there isn’t a lot of strong evidence that cloth masks are as good as medical ones, there is emerging evidence showing that in some cases when they are made correctly, they are as effective as medical masks.”

In the past few months, the group has been sewing and distributing cloth face coverings using mask trees. While Salisbury District Hospital has been “very supportive” of the initiative, with one of the mask trees being located in its foyer, Naomi says the same cannot be said for other hospitals across the country.

“Salisbury [hospital] has been very supportive of cloth masks, we’ve given out around 2,000. We fill up these boxes twice a week and they’re completely empty every time. But in the country there are other hospitals that ask people to take off their cloth mask and put on medical masks.

“I think this send outs mixed messages to members of the public who are being told two different stories.”

Ultimately, cloth masks are less polluting and “more cost-effective”, which is why volunteer sewer Naomi feels everyone should switch to them.

“If you’re wearing them correctly you’ll be spending £10 to £15 a week for disposable masks, it really is a false economy.

“They are a bio-hazard from the litter point of view because if they are not disposed of correctly they risk getting into the water system damaging the environment and wildlife and then there’s the longer term impact of production.”

Talking about the issue of masks being dropped on the floor, the 46-year-old commented: “If it was condoms there would be uproar but it’s no different to that when the bodily fluids in them are just as dangerous.”

“It’s a problem that’s being overlooked,” she added.

Leader of Salisbury City Council, Cllr Jeremy Nettle is also encouraging the use of cloth masks, having himself noticed a rise in mask litter.

Council leader Jeremy Nettle

“Since lockdown we’ve seen an increase in litter which is damaging anyway but mask litter is definitely on the increase and we’ve seen that predominantly outside bus stops, taxi ranks, in parks and out walking,” he said.

Switching to cloth masks, which he says should be washed at least twice a week, would help tackle that as well as the issue of climate change, he says.

“If you’re wearing a cloth mask you’re protecting yourself, you’re protecting others and you’re protecting the environment but if you have to wear a disposable one, dispose of it correctly or take it home.

“Dropping any litter is an offence and if the litter warden catches you there’s a £75 fine so that’s another reason to wear reusable masks.”