Coronavirus Has Renewed Our Addiction To Plastic
As the global death toll from the coronavirus pandemic has risen above 350,000, it has been tempting to look for a silver lining in the environmental changes that the crisis has caused.
Global carbon emissions have plummeted to record lows as a result of strict lockdown measures imposed around the world, with industries halted and cars and planes brought to a near-standstill.
Major cities are reimagining their transportation networks and exploring ways to limit car use while encouraging alternate forms of transportation, like walking and cycling.
And with humans largely out of the way, wildlife is thriving in some areas. Wild goats roamed free in a Welsh town, while packs of boar have been spotted in Barcelona.
In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned this month of “aggressive” rats on the loose in some communities, searching for new sources of food because restaurants have largely shut down.
Nature is healing indeed.
Even as the pandemic sparks hope of a green revolution, however, there are signs that the crisis could cause lasting harm to the environment.
Plastic is making a major comeback, thanks to increased demand for packaged food and disposable shopping bags, the installation of plexiglass dividers in shops and offices, and the widespread use of gloves and protective masks.
In France, 40% of the use of plastic is devoted to packaging, HuffPost France reports. At the end of March, as the coronavirus crisis ramped up, Elipso, the professional federation of the plastic packaging sector, recorded a 30% increase in production, mainly in the food, hygiene and detergents sectors.
Part of the reason for the increase, according to Emmanuel Guichard, Elipso’s general manager, is that suppliers have largely had to shift away from selling to restaurants and toward serving home consumers.
Items that, prior to lockdown, were sold in bulk to restaurants and cafeterias are now sold in smaller containers in supermarkets, Guichard...
