A thousand years from now, if humans still exist, urban archeologists will find a unique type of litter amidst the plastic bottles, aluminum cans and cigarette butts that lie in the excavation layer of the early 2020s: facial masks.
Indeed, discarded masks now litter campuses, parking lots, back alleys and even nature trails. Reflecting both the pandemic and the careless behavior of humans, the masks were just another disposable item, worn to prevent disease or, in many cases, simply to comply with local mandates.
Like other forms of litter, from styrofoam cups to old armchairs, the masks had outlived their utility and were thus flung from car windows or simply dropped along the walkway. Such disrespect for the environment is strictly a human trait, one that is valued only by urban archeologists.
