Lincoln sees a rise in litter – including disposable face masks

Lincoln residents have complained about an increase in litter – including personal protective equipment (PPE) – as more people spend time in outdoor public spaces during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Among the usual litter is disposable PPE, now widespread due to the ongoing pandemic. Image: Twitter, used with permission.

Members of Lincoln’s West End Residents Association, a Facebook group, shared their experiences of the increase in waste.

One member said that they have “huge concerns about the amount of disposable BBQs being used”, especially since the grass is extremely dry. They added that many people piled their rubbish next to an overflowing bin, rather than take it home with them.

Another member emphasised the need for more places to dispose of rubbish, as well as regular emptying of existing bins.

One member even said the refuse has put her horses in danger: “I had to stop the horses eating the remains of a fire on the West Common and ring pulls from cans and ashes.”

Among the usual litter is disposable PPE, now widespread due to the ongoing pandemic.

One person said they’ve seen single-use masks “discarded on the ground”, nowhere near a bin.

Steven Welsby, communications manager for the City of Lincoln Council, said the rise in litter is nothing new: “As the number of people using our parks and open spaces increases, we are aware of the importance of regular emptying of litter bins etc. This is as it would be for any busy summer’s day and is not specific to this year, or to the pandemic.

Litter is damaging to wildlife and spoils the natural landscape. Photo: Karen Jackson/Facebook

Mr Welsby denied that disposable PPE has become a litter problem: “I am aware that in some places discarded PPE is an issue – that has not been the case for us in Lincoln.”

However, Ryan Lovett, chairman of Clean Lincoln Everywhere And Now, an environmental conservation organisation, contradicted that message, saying “the new litter items found are discarded PPE and sanitary products”.

He added that “the hazardous risks of discarded PPE are higher than ever before, so dealing with this issue has been a delicate process”. 

One method of preventing PPE being disposed of is ensuring that it’s reusable.

Becki Newman owns ‘Rainbow and Dinosaur’, a small local business specialising in handmade and customised clothing. Now, motivated by the coronavirus lockdown, Ms Newman has started producing reusable face masks.

“Disposable masks are generally one size, they don’t fit well and are quickly disposed of into landfill. Even in the villages, there are discarded masks and gloves littering green spaces,” she said.

“Disposable PPE is essential for healthcare workers, but for us to nip to the shop, a reusable, washable option is much better for the environment and makes sure we don’t take away from those who need medical grade equipment.

“I wanted to help people have something better fitted, reusable and nice to look at!”

Helen Dearnley also sells reusable masks in Lincoln through Redbubble, an online marketplace. She said: “The best bit is that the masks are washable, so no risk of spreading germs in discarded disposable masks – and, for every sale, another mask is donated via a charity to other key workers”.

On a larger scale, the World Economic Forum have stated that the rise of disposable PPE has led to a new form of pollution in our oceans.

In the U.K., more than a billion items of PPE were given out between the end of February and mid-April this year.

The World Economic Forum lists “waterlogged masks, gloves, hand sanitizer [sic] bottles and other coronavirus waste” as items increasingly found in the oceans.

In some cases, using disposable PPE may be unavoidable, despite the detrimental effect it can have on the oceans.

But in normal circumstances, people in Lincoln are urged to be more conscious of where their waste is going, as more and more litter lurks on the edges of the city’s most picturesque areas.