The Glove Challenge

August 18, 2020

The GCA Looks to the Side Effects of a Pandemic

Discarded disposable gloves — most notably the blue, white, black, and purple varieties — are dotting roadways, sidewalks, subways, and waterways across the country. Sadly the COVID-19 health crisis is morphing into an environmental crisis.

Littered gloves as well as masks can become biohazards when disposed of improperly. Rain pushes the refuse into sewers, storm drains, and waterways thereby exposing fish and wildlife to the disintegrating plastic and toxic discharge.

“We know that the littered gloves get swept into our waterways and the oceans,” says the GCA Conservation Committee chairman. “This harms marine life, and it also poses a risk to our waste management front-line workers. It’s about being a good neighbor and thinking beyond the moment.” The GCA is encouraging member clubs to work with their communities to discard these gloves and masks appropriately.

Trending on social media is #TheGloveChallenge with thousands of posts illustrating the latest fallout from this pandemic.

Read the GCA Position Paper on waste management.

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