The role COVID-19 has played on the environment can be seen as positive, on the surface. We all saw those videos of dolphins returning to the water canals in Venice due to the lack of human activity, or pictures of cities in China where the smog that surrounded the cities cleared out. However, on a deeper look it seems that there is a particular issue that has not received attention from most media outlets and the general public. The issue is the increase in plastic consumption and its negative impact on the environment.
COVID-19 has triggered an increase in single-use plastic. Plastic bottles are one of the most common plastic pollutants in the world and for the last few years, they have been causing many environmental problems. About 60 million plastic bottles are used every day, and about 90% of them are not recycled; therefore, they either end up in landfills or they end up in our oceans. Specifically during the pandemic, one of the most common forms of plastic consumption was the personal protective equipment (PPE) health workers used to stay safe. A study done by professors at the University of Aveiro in Portugal found that a worldwide number of 129 billion face masks and 65 billion gloves each month would be necessary to protect health workers and people from the virus.
The demand for single-use plastic as a way to protect the general public from COVID-19 has also caused an increase in overall plastic consumption. Supermarkets place fresh-foods in plastic packages to avoid food contamination and to extend shelf life. There has also been an emphasis on using single-use plastic bags instead of reusable bags. For example, Massachusetts and New Hampshire banned the use of reusable shopping bags and reintroduced single-use plastic bags as a way to avoid potential health threats to workers and customers. Most of these plastic bags can only be recycled if they are dropped off at the same store, which most people do not follow, resulting in more plastic bags in our landfills where they can be easily picked up by wind.
COVID-19 has also impacted the various recycling systems all over the world. As a response to the pandemic, many local budgets in the U.S. had to be reallocated to prioritize health, causing funding for recycling systems to be cut down. In Peoria, Illinois, the recycling programs were cut as a way to save money, and this has been happening in countries all over the world. In developing countries, the already struggling waste management infrastructure has been devastated by the pandemic. In some communities in these developing countries, the amount of plastic has nearly doubled since the start of the pandemic.
The rise in plastic consumption and the breakdown of sustainability systems in place has contributed to a chain of events that is harmful to the environment. It starts with individuals, either the general public or the health workers who need PPE in order to stay safe, utilizing more single-use plastic bags and disposable masks/gloves. When that plastic is not properly disposed of, it ends up in the ocean, where it pollutes the environment and can be ingested by wildlife. So, although some plastic consumption may not be avoidable, such as PPE for healthcare workers, it is important to recognize the recent increase in plastic usage worldwide. It is important for us as individuals to acknowledge our own responsibility to limit personal plastic consumption for the sake of the planet.
Be First to Comment