Italian environmentalists fear millions of masks could end up dumped in nature.

As students in Italy return to school after a six-month closure due to the covid-19 crisis, the Italian branch of the World Wildlife Fund has called on schoolchildren to ensure that "millions of disposable masks don't end up in nature."

• Coronavirus: plastic gloves and masks litter streets

WWF Italia posted its message on Twitter alongside disturbing images of a swan whose cygnets were playing with a mask dumped in the waters of Lake Bracciano north of Rome.

In April environmentalists in Italy warned of the "high risk" of dumped masks and plastic gloves ending up getting washed into the sea.

• Covid-19: Alarm over masks and gloves in Mediterranean Sea

Sadly, masks dumped in the street is a common sight around Rome now, despite the existence of a €500 fine (in theory) for those caught doing so.

Finalmente si torna a #scuola
Per circa 7 milioni di #studenti della scuola pubblica italiana tra i 6 e i 18 anni c'è un nuovo protagonista: la mascherina
Facciamo in modo che milioni di #mascherine usa e getta non finiscano in #natura
Foto di Paolo Nicolai sul Lago di Bracciano pic.twitter.com/yW6rJjLyOs

— wwfitalia (@WWFitalia) September 14, 2020