Plastic pollution was already ubiquitous before the CCP virus pandemic arrived, but the past two years have seen a steep rise in the mountain of plastic waste, as the use of disposable masks, gloves, and food packaging soars. New research estimates that in every minute, three million face masks are put into the environment, or 129 billion a month. Most of them are made from soft plastics which cannot be recycled, as scientists say they release toxic chemical pollutants and microplastics into the environment—and take up to 450 years to break down. Less than four percent of soft plastics are recycled in Australia, despite it being the most lethal consumer plastic for ocean wildlife. According to the World Health Organization (WHO)’s February report, approximately 87,000 tons of personal protective equipment was ordered between March 2020 and November 2021 and shipped to countries, the majority of which ended up as waste. This only takes …