The Problem

Masks have become a large part of our daily lives and their use is required in a number of contexts, as seen in this image carousel.

• As we have seen over the past year, a large supply of masks is required during pandemics to prevent the spread of disease, and in the case of future pandemics, we will need a better supply of masks to avoid the shortages we have seen during this pandemic.

• Especially over the past few years, we have seen massive wildfires in California, Australia, and other places around the world, which have damaged local air quality and required mask usage. With the current trend of climate change, these fires will get worse before they get better, and mask supply will have to keep up.

• Certain professions, such as firefighters, medical workers, and construction workers, require mask usage to protect against air particles, whether they are smoke, bacteria and viruses, or fine dust particles, and these requirements are constant.

• Large cities like Beijing, China and Delhi, India suffer from high air pollution that requires mask usage, which continues to increase.

• Until action is taken against these problems, we will continue to need use masks, which will lead to further pollution and environmental degradation.