Blue Surgical Face Masks.

[Tilly2]

What do you do with yours when it's time to throw them out? I have been washing ours but they are probably not much good now. Can I put them in the household waste bin? I doubt that they are bio-degradable.

I don't have an open fire to burn them and neither do I have a garden incinerator.

[woofgang]

yes you can put them in household waste according to my local council. That is unless you have covid or are self isolating or in quarantine and then you have to double bag and store the bag for some time before putting out in the bin. Are you saying you wash and re-use single use masks? its NOT a good idea.

Putting out waste if you have coronavirus

The way you put out your black sacks or clear sacks for collection must change if you or anyone in your household:

has confirmed coronavirus
has symptoms of coronavirus
is self-isolating.
Double-bag your personal waste.

Put personal waste such as used tissues and disposable cleaning cloth in a bag, then in a second bag.
Tie these bags securely and keep separate from other waste in the rooms where you are self-isolating.
Put these bags into your black sack for collection.
Do not put your sacks out for collection for at least three days.

For example, if you have filled/tied a bag on Monday and your collection is on Thursday, you can put that bag out for collection on Thursday morning.
If you have filled/tied a bag on Monday and your collection is on Wednesday, store that bag at home until your collection day the following week.

you could also check your own council's website?

[Buenchico]

I just put them in the normal (i.e. 'non-recyclable') bin. It doesn't matter whether or not they're bio-degradable, as our waste doesn't go to landfill anyway. (It gets converted to electricity here: https://www.suez.co.uk/en-gb/our-offering/success-stories/our-references/suffolks-acclaimed-energy-plant-saves-emissions-and-costs )

[woofgang]

same here buenchico. The non recyclable stuff is closed incinerator burned. I am told that the air comes out of the incinerator cleaner than when it went in.

[douglas9401]

If our Morrisons car park is anything to go by just dropping them as you leave the store is acceptable.

Discarding from a moving vehicle is also a viable means of disposal.

These innovations arose from a lack of fast-food wrappers to turn any locality into a rubbish dump during the Great Shutdown o' '20.
Masks and gloves were seen as suitable replacements in the short to medium term.

I might be wrong though and some people are just dregs.

[Hopkirk]

I confirm that from what I have seen recently, lobbing them out of a moving car seems the norm.

At least, the cords should be cut so they don't snare a wild animal

[david small]

They are perfect for carrying Scotch eggs in.

[nailit]

As Ive said elswhere, if this is such a deadly virus, why are there no biohazard bins for disposal of masks?
Personally I wear a washable/reusable one.

Treading over masks has become as commonplace as treading over bits of plastic and chewing gum.

[Tilly2]

Yes, Woof. I must admit to having been washing them and hanging them on the line. basically because I was concerned about putting them in the bin and causing plastic pollution.

It's not because I am too tight-fisted to buy another set :-)

We have four cotton, washable, reusable ones but sometimes you need an emergency spare mask. The washed blue ones are there if we desperately need a mask and the fabric ones are still in the wash.

[ladybirder]

Tilly there are some gorgeous ones on the RSPB website:-)

[Buenchico]

The disposable face masks I use only cost 16p each so, despite being a skinflint, I don't feel the need to wash and reuse them!
https://www.bmstores.co.uk/products/disposable-face-cover-3ply-25pk-364967

[woofgang]

yes i got mine from amazon for 18p each

[TheChair]

In my area it seems that most people like to strew them around local beauty spots.

[anneasquith]

Bag it, bin it .

[mallyh]

cut the ear loops before disposing as animals can get caught in them

[Tilly2]

Thanks all. I have cut trough the loops and put them in the bin.