Recycle This Pittsburgh

Disposable Face Masks

About These Items

During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, most people were wearing masks in Pittsburgh when going out and about, as directed by the PA Governor to prevent the spread of Covid-19. There are many variations of face masks. Some, such as the N95 respirator, should really be reserved for healthcare workers, as recommended by the CDC. No disposable (or reusable) masks are accepted in the City of Pittsburgh’s curbside recycling. These disposable masks have begun to litter our neighborhoods, parks, and grocery store parking lots, where they are a contamination risk to the workers who end up picking up this litter. If you wear a disposable face mask, please make sure you deposit them in the trash when you are done. Note that the CDC recommends cloth masks for non-healthcare situations.

TerraCycle does offer a specialty recycling program that accepts disposable masks (see below).

Cut the strings.

As the pandemic drags on, more and more of these disposable masks are making their way into the environment, where they can be a hazard to animals (like this or this).

If you use disposable masks, take a moment to cut the string on your mask before you toss in the garbage. This way if your used mask happens to find its way into the environment, it’s a little less likely to maim or kill an animal.

Consider using a cloth mask.

WHO has released guidance of disposable mask usage. The CDC has also issued guidance on mask usage.

Both WHO and CDC recommend that N95 respirators are needed for healthcare and other essential workers, who’s personal risk of infection and spread will be higher than anyone who is mostly sheltering at home. Keep these masks in the market for our essential workers! (And if you have unused N95s at home, consider donating them to a local hospital.)

For everyday uses like grocery shopping, consider using a cloth masks, which you can wash repeatedly. Check out the CDC’s guidance on cloth masks. Per the CDC, if you use a cloth mask, you can put it into your regular laundry to wash it after use.

There are lots of websites with instructions on how to make masks:

• For simple no-sew masks made with a square of fabric and two rubber bands watch this CDC video or check out this tutorial page
• No-sew masks made from old T-shirts
• Easy sew instructions – plus more info on masks – from the CDC here 

Considering making cloth masks for others.

There are a number of pop-up initiatives in Pittsburgh to sew masks for healthcare workers and neighbors. If you’ve got sewing skills, consider connecting with one of these groups to lend your talents.

TerraCycle’s Protective Gear recycling program

If you work at a facility that regularly uses large amounts of masks, you could look into TerraCycle’s Safety-Equipment and Protective Gear Zero Waste Box, which accepts all masks as well as gloves, hairnets, and other protective items. It does cost money and requires you set up physical collection points in your facility.