Authorities clamp down on mask litter

Shanghai has initiated a month-long campaign to crack down on people who improperly discard used face masks in public venues such as metro stations, transportation hubs, medical institutions, shopping centers, and farmers' markets.

In September, the Shanghai authority in charge of fine-tuning city management and the environmental management team of the Shanghai COVID-19 Prevention and Control Office ordered the administrators of such public sites to put up posters reminding the public to avoid such behavior.

At areas where such problems have occurred repeatedly, security workers and volunteers have been instructed to confront offenders. Law enforcement officers from the urban management authority would also patrol those areas more frequently and fine offenders.

Operators of public sites and volunteers from the local subdistricts and towns should remove all discarded masks in and around the areas that they are responsible for.

At some metro stations, audio recordings reminding passengers not to discard masks improperly are broadcast every 15 minutes.

The Shanghai Landscaping and City Appearance Administrative Bureau said that residents should discard used masks in bins designated for residual waste.