Disposable masks have invaded the beaches of Hong Kong where, for several months, residents have been covering their faces to protect themselves from the new coronavirus.

According to environmental associations, these masks add to the already worrying amounts of plastic waste floating in Hong Kong's waters, writes Agerpres.

 "The disposable mask is just another weight we leave to future generations," said Gary Stokes, co-founder of OceansAsia.

 Shortly before the pandemic broke out, the Hong Kong environmental organization launched a one-year study on waste and microplastics found on one of the country's most remote and uninhabited islands.

 The five most commonly found items were bottles, polystyrene packaging, lighters, disposable cutlery and plastic straw.

 Currently, disposable masks float on the surface of the sea, along the beaches and the coast.

Recently, environmentalists identified and collected 70 masks within a radius of 100 meters.  A week later, another 30 masks were found.

 "Since people started wearing masks, the consequences of this phenomenon are now visible on the beaches," Stokes said.

 Hong Kong's nearly 7.5 million people produce six million tons of waste each year, of which only about 30% is recycled.