With the government announcements this week, it looks like face coverings will continue to be a part of our 'normal' lives for the next 6 months if not for the foreseeable future. With this in mind, should we be considering the 'type' of face coverings we use, particularly when it comes to the environment?

The problem with disposable face masks

Disposable face masks are problematic when it comes to their environmental impact. They are throw away masks and are only for single usage.

They have been classed as the latest danger in the fight against plastic pollutions. Not only do they add to the increase in plastic waste as microplastics in our seas but also causing harm to wildlife by entangling them. BBC's War on Plastic recently touched on these problems and how plastic pollution has increased due to Covid-19.

A study by University College London calculated that if every person in the UK wore a disposable mask a day for a year, it would create 66,000 tonnes of contaminated waste and 55,000 tonnes of plastic packaging!

This is really concerning! Especially as there was such a focus on going plastic free pre March this year.

So what can we do?

To tackle the waste of disposable face coverings, Greenpeace have urged people to use reusable masks. These can be washed and used time and time again. 

What should we look for?

The following is worth considering when purchasing a face covering:

• Comfortable material - is it easy to breathe through?
• Washable - you should be able to wash your covering after every use.
• Reusable - these are best for the environment, as you can use them more than once!
• More than one layer of fabric. 
• Enough material to cover from the bridge of your nose to the bottom of your chin. 
• Easy to remove - you should be able to remove it using the straps and not touching your face or the front of the covering.  
• A comfortable but snug fit - so you are able to keep it properly in place and to prevent adjusting.

Our coverings

We launched our business little venture back in February this year, full of ideas and excitement of what the future would hold for bunny + bear. By the following month we were facing a global pandemic.

Our business quickly adapted to what was going on around us and with the looming guidance from the government that face coverings would be mandatory we decided to design a few coverings based on our print designs. Fast forward 6 months and our coverings are still popular with our customers. We sell our design collection on our site for adults and children and also offer a tailored service for business branded and personal customised coverings.

bunny + bear face coverings can be washed up to 200 times, they are reusable and super soft! There are lots of reusable masks in stores and online and we would like to urge you to choose these over the single use masks!

There are still many disposable masks on the high street. Next time you're out and about have a look around and you'll see that the majority of people are wearing single use masks. There are a large amount of disposable masks discarded and littering our pavements and beaches, which is just adding to the plastic waste we've already globally accumulated! 

We all have a responsibility to prevent this and we all can by thinking before we buy!

xx