Plastic. A pandemic hero or a money opportunist?

Single use plastics have risen once again during the war against covid-19.

As plastic companies in the U.S. step forward to sell their products to: in their words ‘help in reducing the transmission of the virus’, post-lockdown has begun to see the rebirth of a plastic world.

In an open letter to the department of health, Tony Radoszewski, president and CEO of the Plastic Industry Association in Washington DC wrote: “The plastics industry has been working to educate the general public and elected officials that single-use plastic products are the most sanitary choice when it comes to many applications.”

Mr Radoszewski further stated: “We ask that the department speak out against bans on these products as a public safety risk and help stop the rush to ban these products by environmentalists and elected officials that puts consumers and workers at risk.”

Contrary to the CEO’s statement, a study by WebMD, a health information services website, shows that covid-19 can live on plastic surfaces for up to 3 days, longer than that of fabric surfaces.

The pressure for single use plastics has soared as a result of concerns over public health during the coronavirus pandemic, increasing fears over plastic pollution for environmentalists.

So are plastic companies the heroes of our pandemic or simply leaching onto the fear the worldwide virus has introduced?

A study published this year showed that 2.5 million bottles are thrown away every hour in the United States. This contributes to the fact that by 2050 the weight of plastic in the ocean will suffocate many fish in their own environments.

The added pressure of the careless disposal of plastic in the U.S. has arisen as President Donald Trump quickly reopened the country. According to Planet Aid (add link here) American’s recycle only 34% of their waste

From single use coffee cups to plastic hand sanitisers, masks and gloves, the world has become fixated on plastic products. Environmental organisations in the U.S. have grown increasingly concerned about the consequences this will bring.

Environmental leader and founder of Beyond plastics Judith Enck, sombrely voiced: “The plastics industry has exploited the corona virus as soon as the pandemic hit. Yes, plastic personal protective equipment is needed but the avalanche of single use plastic packaging does little to protect people from getting the virus.”

Beyond Plastics is a non-government, none profit organisation based at Bennington College in Vermont aiming to end plastic pollution by pressuring companies to switch to reusable alternatives.

“The top priority is protecting the public health, boosting the sales of single use plastics does not accomplish that," Ms Enck remarked.

Environmentalists have been burdened by colossal companies selling their plastic products to U.S. citizens throughout the pandemic but continue to fight in the battle to end plastic pollution.

Mr Hocevar, Greenpeace director for the U.S. Ocean campaign, Mr Hocevar voiced: “I have always been concerned about environmental and social justice since I knew what it was, I love the ocean and I have always had a passion for protecting it.”

“We are all scared and trying to figure out the best way to stay safe. Unless you are an expert, you have to think about who you want to take advice from. Is it a company trying to sell more plastic crap or an organisation trying to keep people safe? For me that’s an easy answer” he continued.

So are plastic companies the heroes of our pandemic or simply leaching onto the fear the worldwide virus has introduced?