No, the pandemic wasn’t good for the environment
The pandemic was great for the environment, they said. Earth had grown tired of human fossil fuels, so it made an executive decision to banish us into lockdown and reduce carbon emissions unilaterally.
Earth must have forgotten that plastic is killing it, too.
With everyone staying in their own homes, single-use plastic consumption rose dramatically, creating a detrimental impact on the environment around us. That’s a bigger problem than some might think, as a whopping 90% of plastic globally cannot be recycled, according to Greenpeace. Yet hospitals, restaurants and a variety of businesses constantly contribute to the planet’s plastic overload. There’s only one solution to this problem: Ban single-use plastic and promote a circular economy in which plastic is reused several times over.
Carbon dioxide emissions dropped with the onset of the pandemic, as governments closed down borders and decreed lockdowns. Daily global emissions had decreased 17% by early April 2020, according to a Nature climate change report. So while COVID19 was great for cutting carbon emissions temporarily, has it increased sustainability?
Hundreds of plastic containers, coffee cups and non-reusable masks are found littered around Israel’s beaches, parks and streets. Israel has a serious plastic problem. We have the highest rate among OECD countries of landfill capacity – 80% – and recycle less than 7% of our waste.
It’s not as though the rest of the world has done much better. Single-use plastic consumption spiked globally during the pandemic, and not only because people were using more straws. The medical sector relied heavily on plastic, including the use of the face shields (PP), gowns (LDPE), vinyl gloves (PVC), disposable bags, tubes and masks (plastic sheet and non-woven fabric), to combat COVID, a UN report noted. China alone accumulated some 142,000 tons of medical waste this past year – masks, gloves, and other medical single-use protective gear – and scientists are still waiting to assess its impact on oceans.
Restaurants and clothing manufacturers have also used more non-reusable plastic since the pandemic began. People didn’t want to leave their houses, so everyone began shopping online and ordering food to their doors. Food delivery containers are often made of Styrofoam or non-recyclable plastic, and many times wrapped in even more non-recyclable plastic.
The way humans use plastic is contributing to three planetary crises: pollution, climate change and loss of natural habitat, according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation Global Commitment 2020 report. So far, more than 500 businesses, organizations and governments have signed onto a pact aimed at creating a circular economy for plastic by 2025 so it never becomes waste. In addition, CEFLEX, the European organization of plastic recycling, has grown substantially, with 160 European corporations, organizations and associations on board. It suggests the use of mono-material that can be easily recycled. The organization is investing time and resources into creating a more sustainable world and promoting a more circular economy.
THESE FOUNDATIONS are not leading the charge alone. The European Union recently passed a new law stating, “Where sustainable alternatives are easily available and affordable, single-use plastic products will be banned from 3 July, 2021. This ban will apply to cotton bud sticks, cutlery, plates, straws, stirrers, and sticks for balloons. It will also apply to cups, food and beverage containers made of expanded polystyrene, including all products made of oxo-degradable plastic.”
Many countries are implementing plastic taxes to dissuade people from using single-use, non-recyclable plastic bags. In the US, eight states have implemented laws prohibiting stores from distributing single-use plastic bags. Many supermarkets tend to offer inexpensive tote bags, and often charge customers an extra fee if they use plastic bags from the market. There is often an incentive to buy the tote, or bring one’s own. However, new studies show that these cotton tote bags might actually be worse for the environment than plastic. As new research comes out, it seems that recycling plastic bags currently in use – using the Safeway bag again and again until it’s time to put it in the recycling bin – may be the best way to go.
While governments are implementing these new incentives to dissuade single-use plastic, companies are also taking the fight into their own hands. It’s becoming less and less common to find plastic straws at restaurants, cafes and coffee shops. Starbucks, for example,
changed the lids on its cold drinks so that customers wouldn’t need straws. Other restaurants using paper straws and reusable metal straws have become increasingly popular among the environmentally conscious.
Climate change continues to be a hot topic. Every day we see signs and bumper stickers saying “Save our sea turtles” or “Stop climate change now.”
Consumers are becoming increasingly environmentally conscious and are looking for greener alternatives.
However, even with all these initiatives, studies continue to predict at least a two-fold increase in plastic waste by 2030, continuing to ruin our oceans and kill wildlife. It’s time to stop repeating the same cycle and come up with fresh solutions. One step is to wean ourselves off single-use, non-recyclable plastic. These initiatives are a great way to start solving the problem, but not enough. Until corporations and people switch to fully recyclable plastic, we will continue to see plastic fill our landfills and pollute our oceans.