SEOUL, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- What to do with recycled masks? Kim Ha-neul from South Korea has made colorful stools out of them.

In Kim's project called "Stack and Stack," the 23-year-old student stacked about 1,500 face masks to make one piece of furniture. His message is clear -- be aware of the waste caused by disposable face masks and start recycling.

The number of of face masks produced, many of which are made of polypropylene, have surged amid the COVID-19 pandemic this year. According to the Ministry of Economy and Finance in South Korea in May, around 8 million of domestically produced face masks go straight into the public supply per day.

[caption id="attachment_54537" align="alignnone" width="900"] Kim Ha-neul wields a heat gun over the masks at the Kaywon University of Art and Design in Uiwang city, Seoul, South Korea, Dec. 24, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Jingqiang)[/caption] [caption id="attachment_54538" align="alignnone" width="900"] Kim Ha-neul introduces his project at the Kaywon University of Art and Design in Uiwang city, Seoul, South Korea, Dec. 24, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Jingqiang)[/caption] [caption id="attachment_54539" align="alignnone" width="900"] Kim Ha-neul (R) takes out the nose-bridge of a mask at the Kaywon University of Art and Design in Uiwang city, Seoul, South Korea, Dec. 24, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Jingqiang)[/caption] [caption id="attachment_54540" align="alignnone" width="900"] Kim Ha-neul makes a stool from recycled masks at the Kaywon University of Art and Design in Uiwang city, Seoul, South Korea, Dec. 24, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Jingqiang)[/caption] [caption id="attachment_54541" align="alignnone" width="900"] Kim Ha-neul stands at his stool made from recycled masks at the Kaywon University of Art and Design in Uiwang city, Seoul, South Korea, Dec. 24, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Jingqiang)[/caption] [caption id="attachment_54542" align="alignnone" width="900"] Kim Ha-neul displays his works at the Kaywon University of Art and Design in Uiwang city, Seoul, South Korea, Dec. 24, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Jingqiang) ■[/caption]