COVID-19 drove unprecedented global disruption, making face masks mandatory to curb virus spread. This surge in demand caused a massive increase in plastic waste, with non-biodegradable materials and microplastic pollution creating environmental challenges. Reviewing life cycle assessments highlights sustainability issues, waste management hurdles, and process hotspots. Recommendations aim to guide research and policy for a safer, more sustainable facemask industry.
https://sustainenvironres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42834-023-00182-x