Re-usable mask is best option – ZEMA

LINDA SOKO TEMBO writes THE Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) has urged members of the public to use re-usable masks to reduce a negative impact on the environment, by avoiding pollution with disposable masks during the fight against the COVID-19.  ZEMA corporate affairs manager, Irene Chipili said the agency was advocating for people to use reusable masks to avoid polluting the environment. She said the agency was concerned with reports of members of the community reusing disposable masks which was not safe and healthy.  In an interview with the Sun, Ms Chipili said that the disposable masks were not meant to be reused but disposed of after using them in a proper manner and not throwing them carelessly as this was not safe and the environment was being polluted.  Ms Chipili said that collecting of reusable masks was wrong, and that as a regulator they did not support that act, stating it was difficult for them to keep track of the perpetrators who recycled the disposable masks and sold them to the community. “From the environmental point of view we would actually advocate for reusable masks because there will be no liter in the environment,” she said. The Sun