{"id":80056,"date":"2025-12-05T13:42:45","date_gmt":"2025-12-05T12:42:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/?post_type=p4_action&p=80056"},"modified":"2026-04-08T10:49:32","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T08:49:32","slug":"make-a-reusable-mask","status":"publish","type":"p4_action","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/campaigns\/make-a-reusable-mask\/","title":{"rendered":"Make a Reusable Mask"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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Make a Reusable Mask
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We need to protect ourselves and each other from viruses, but we don\u2019t need to pollute the planet with more throwaway plastic! <\/p>\n<\/div>

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The hundreds of billions of disposable plastic masks and gloves we are using globally are creating a new kind of plastic pollution crisis\u2014ending up in nature, piling up in landfills, or being burned in incinerators. We need to reserve the medical-grade masks for healthcare and frontline workers and make choices to protect ourselves from COVID-19 in ways that will not endanger human health or the planet in the future.<\/p>\n\n

You can avoid disposable gloves by washing hands with soap and water or using hand sanitiser; if gloves are required where you are, choose reusable ones if you can and keep them clean. In many situations, you do need a mask\u2014but you can make a reusable mask with materials you already have at home! Some materials will work better than others: a stitched cotton mask was found to be most effective in recent research<\/a>, and ideally the fabric should be boiled to disinfect, meaning you should choose colours that won\u2019t bleed. As always, be sure to check the latest guidelines from health experts<\/a> when making choices on how best to protect yourself and others. Here are some instructions for you to try!<\/p>\n\n

Easy Instructions (no sewing required)<\/h2>\n\n
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