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The COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating for world health and for the world economy. It’s also taken a toll on the environment.‌
 

Thanks to the pandemic, there has been a massive increase in demand for plastic products like face shields and disposable gloves. Single-use plastic products like takeout food containers, bottles of hand sanitizer, and packaging for online shopping have also seen a surge in demand. It’s no wonder that some are talking about a “ plastic pandemic” sweeping the globe.‌
 

What are the implications of this increased use of plastic? What’s the best way to return to more sustainable practices, without sacrificing human health and safety? This article will dig into some of the causes, and possible solutions, to the current plastic recycling crisis.‌
 

COVID-19 and Recycling

The recycling industry has failed to keep up with the increased demand for plastics over the past year. Reuters reported that the oil industry plans to spend $400 billion on plants to create material for new plastic. At the same time, the industry plans to spend just $2 billion on efforts to reduce plastic waste.‌
 

Many local governments and municipalities are struggling to pay for their own recycling programs, and they anticipate that this problem will continue in the future. The faltering global economy has led to decreased tax revenue in many areas, which has a knock-on effect on public services like recycling.‌
 

In some cities, like New York, municipal funds have run so low that lawmakers are trying to pass bills to force plastics manufacturers to pay for local recycling projects. However, it’s not at all clear whether these bills will pass into law, and whether they could be adopted all over the world.‌
 

A Shift in the Model

‌Waste management firms said that they felt a major shift in their operations as Americans began telecommuting during the pandemic.‌
 

With more and more people working from home, residential waste (including recycling) increased dramatically, even as office waste dropped to almost nothing. Waste management companies reported that the change was sudden and that adjusting to it took a toll on the industry. It is not yet clear how that change will play out in the year to come, as some businesses appear likely to re-open and others may keep working remotely for the foreseeable future.‌
 

Difficulties Recycling

‌Not all plastics are created equal.

‌Reuters reports that some of the new plastic waste which is flooding the oceans and clogging landfill is especially difficult to recycle.‌
 

Single-use plastic sachets — the small, flimsy containers that might contain a single dose of aspirin, or a single portion of toothpaste or shampoo — are ever-more popular with consumers who are looking for convenience. They are even more popular now that consumers are concerned about spreading disease through contact.‌
 

Some 164 million sachets are used every single day in the Philippines alone. That’s according to the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives. The sachets are difficult to recycle, Reuters reports. Many single-use plastics, like the plastic components in many face masks, are also challenging to recycle.‌
 

Unfortunately, the pandemic has caused enormous demand for such products. In March of 2020, China alone used 116 million face masks, and that number shows no sign of abating in the near future.‌
 

The COVID-19 Pandemic Presents Another Challenge: Medical Waste

 

Perceptions of Plastic

Just a few short years ago, plastic was experiencing a major backlash. In 2018, news stories proclaimed that there was a “ worldwide revolt against plastic” underway, especially among educated, environmentally conscious people.‌
 

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, though, there was a marked swing in public opinion. All of a sudden, plastic was seen as an invaluable tool in the fight against disease and contamination. Single-use plastic, which can be tossed aside immediately, began to seem protective rather than wasteful.‌
 

In the UK, the University of Hull carried out a study of how public views of plastics evolved during the pandemic. Dan Parsons, the director of the university’s Energy & Environment Institute , told the BBC that “When we go out now, the first thing people reach for is the face mask, or gloves, both of which are made of plastic. It is now seen as this protective barrier against a disease we cannot see. Plastic has in recent months been the thing we have turned to, to keep us safe, and that is where this new relationship with it is really interesting.”‌
 

Zero Waste Recycling

‌If recycling is increasingly unaffordable and public opinion has shifted to favor plastic, then what’s the way forward?‌
 

The solution may be in a different approach to waste. Instead of traditional recycling methods, the concept the zero waste recycling looks for a way to repurpose single-use plastics and other trash.‌
 

MINIWIZ invents about 20 new kinds of material every month, all of them using the world’s most plentiful resource — trash. The MINIWIZ Trash Lab recently created an ultrasoft fabric called Natrilon which is crafted from recycled beverage bottles and the husks of rice. Natrilon has the pleasing texture of merino wool and a satiny sheen.‌
 

The same Trash Lab came up with PlyFix, a highly versatile material that can be used to soundproof a room, build furniture, or package a shipping order. PlyFix is made from low melt PET and recycled PET from single use bottles. It can be formed into virtually any shape and can be engraved or printed upon. Its soundproofing capabilities make it popular in office settings, and it’s already being used by Nike in their Tokyo and New York offices.‌

Perhaps the way forward lies in creative efforts like these. Instead of asking the public to abandon the usefulness of plastics altogether, it may be more realistic to find attractive, out of the box solutions to the problem of waste. Instead of railing against garbage, it may be a good idea to turn trash to a whole new purpose.‌
 

How Do You Turn Waste into Products That Are as Good as New?

 

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