Dispose of masks properly, or else…

Face masks help 1) ___ (PREVENT) the spread of coronavirus and other diseases, and mass masking 2) ___ (RECOMMEND) by almost all health groups and countries to control the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent studies estimated an astounding 129 billion masks 3) ___ (USE) globally every month (3 million / minute) and most of them 4) ___ (MAKE) from plastic microfibers. This puts disposable masks on a similar scale as plastic bottles.

It was inevitable that they 5) ___ (BECOME) a garbage problem. The number of masks 6) ___ (ENTER) the environment on a monthly basis because of the COVID-19 pandemic 7) ___ (STAGGER). From a global production projection of 52 billion masks for 2020, 1.56 billion masks 8) ___ (ENTER) our oceans in 2020. These masks 9) ___ (TAKE) as long as 450 years to break down and they negatively affect marine wildlife and ecosystems. 10) ___ (WEAR) a mask when in proximity to others 11) ___ (BE) a reasonable step to take during this past year but disposing of masks properly 12) ___ (MATTER), too!

ANSWERS:

PREVENT, IS RECOMMENDED, BEING USED, ARE MADE, WOULD BECOME, ENTERING, IS STAGGERING, ENTERED, WILL TAKE, WEARING, WAS, MATTERS