Nearly half of district councils have warned the littering of face masks and plastic gloves is becoming a growing problem in their area.
The District Councils’ Network (DCN) said the littering of personal protective equipment could spread infection, as well as being dangerous to pets and wildlife.
The survey by the DCN also revealed that nearly nine in 10 councils have seen an increase in recyclable waste since the start of lockdown in March.
A rise in garden waste, more refuse in parks and open spaces, and an increase in fly-tipping was also reported through the survey.
Cllr Dan Humphreys, DCN’s lead member for enhancing quality of life, said: ‘PPE waste is becoming a problem for many councils with more communities sadly seeing it become a normal part of litter left on the streets and in other public spaces.
’Not only does this blight local areas, but it also risks spreading infection. Face masks, gloves and other forms of PPE are designed to protect people from infection, but poor disposal risks doing the opposite.’
