Plastic Bag Usage Spikes Thanks to the Coronavirus
Plastic bags are on the rise
As the amount of coronavirus cases continues to rise, there has been a growing interest in bringing plastic bags back to markets across the United States. Plastic bag bans were recently enforced in California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and many other states in the US. However, because of the coronavirus, some bans have been temporarily rescinded.
Many people called for this change because they were worried that the virus could be lingering on reusable bags. However, scientists do not have enough information to make a conclusion on whether reusable bags are able to transmit diseases or not.
Despite the lack of data, some advise that it should be assumed that there is a chance of transmission, even if it is not high. The reusable bag can be taken almost anywhere and handled by both the consumers and the workers in grocery stores.
With this in mind, this means that the reusable bag could potentially spread the virus to those who touch it.
It is assumed that fewer people touch plastic bags because they are disposable. One study, however, found that the virus lasted on plastic for up to three days, suggesting that customers should still be cautious of using plastic bags as well.
UC Davis microbiologist Jonathan Eisen expressed his own thoughts regarding the concern. He believed that bags should not be a great distress as there are other proven ways of transmission that we should worry about. After all, there is no hard evidence concluding that ending the plastic bag bans would effectively reduce the spread of the virus.
Why should there be a ban on plastic bags?
Along with the ease-of-use of plastic bags come long-term consequences. One market named Hy-Vee enforced a ban on reusable bags instead of plastic ones and told reporters that they made this decision to prioritize employee and customer concerns. Like Hy-Vee, many other markets have also delayed their plastic bag bans and instead put a ban on reusable bags for the safety of their employees and customers.
The harms of plastic bags were not widely known until recently. They are a huge contributor to many environmental problems that will only get worse if we keep using these disposable bags. Plastic bag bans were enforced only recently in the decade, and going back could have detrimental effects.
People find plastic bags to be convenient, lightweight, and provide less risk of the spread, even though it is unproven. How long will it take for officials to enforce these bans once again? Will people continue using plastic bags even after the coronavirus? Will people stay cautious even after the virus ends? How much would this hurt the earth?
Pollution
Disposable plastic bags cause pollution. Because they are extremely difficult to recycle, the majority of plastics end up in landfills, and less than ten percent is actually recycled.
Plastic bags also cause clogged sewage systems and malfunctions because of the excess water. The water spreads pollutants, damages property, and hurts local creeks and streams.
Plastic bags were also found to emit greenhouse gases, making it a contributor to global climate change. The University of Hawaii at Manoa researched what gases plastics released when exposed to light.
The research concluded that low-density polyethylene (LDPE), a material found in plastic grocery bags, produced methane and ethylene in greater amounts than any of the other six types of consumer plastics they tested.
A marine biologist, Sarah-Jeanne Royer, stated that LDPE was one of the main plastics used in production and frequently disposed of. Greenhouse gases can cause a number of environmental problems such as air pollution and climate change, which in turn, produce extremes such as wildfires, a lack of food supply, and a higher likeliness of respiratory illnesses.
Wildlife is in danger
Plastic bags are easily discarded and many end up blowing away into areas that could end up hurting animals directly as well as indirectly.
For example, a ton of plastic ends up in fields where animals such as cows eat them. This problem was especially prevalent in India, where plastic and other trash surround their grounds. These cows were found to have about 50 or more plastic bags located inside their digestive tracts. When an animal swallows plastic bags, this leads to intestinal obstructions, which can result in a slow death.
When plastic bags enter rivers or other waterways, a number of other environmental issues arise. It takes about three hundred years for plastic bags to fully photodegrade, and even after that, they are not fully biodegraded.
The plastics break down into toxic particles called microplastics and end up in both aboveground and underwater food chains, where animals digest them. This is unhealthy for both the animals and the ecosystem in its entirety.
A great amount of plastic ends up at sea through the waterways that it flows through. Thousands of sea creatures die each year from consuming plastic bags or getting entangled in them. In a recent study conducted by researchers of the University of Queensland, it was found that fifty-two percent of the world’s sea turtles have eaten a form of plastic. It was also found that the majority of these plastic forms were plastic bags.
Sea turtles often believe plastic bags are jellyfish, which can explain why half the population is suffering from the same problem. The sea turtles who eat plastic bags are at risk of dying from starvation since the bags make them feel full.
Ways to Mitigate the Spread Without Plastic Bags
There is no clear answer to whether people should use plastic bags during this time or not. The possible spread of the virus is especially concerning for those who work in markets every day and it is reasonable to understand their side during this time.
If reusable bags really do spread the coronavirus, it is might not be wrong to turn to plastic bags for the time being. While people should take measures on preventing the spread of the coronavirus, it is also essential to be aware of the environmental consequences the world continues to face because of plastic bag usage.
However, there are other ways to mitigate the spread without worrying about plastic or reusable bags.
Professor Meghan May, a professor of microbiology and infectious disease at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, informed The Verge of a few alternative ways to limit plastic waste. She recommended that people could carry their groceries with a basket or cart to your car.
She also suggested that people consider paper bags, a disposable, compostable substitute for plastic bags. Although these methods may not be the most efficient, it may be worth considering, since it can help prevent the virus from spreading and limit environmental harm.
Overall, we must understand the importance of human health and the environment to find the right plan for our future.
Sources
https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/2/21204094/plastic-bag-ban-reusable-grocery-coronavirus-covid-19
https://www.livescience.com/63274-plastics-release-greenhouse-gases.html
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/05/coronavirus-pandemic-last-2-years/
https://www.dpw.lacounty.gov/epd/PlasticBags/Articles/Googobits_07-21-05.pdf
Interested in learning more about Linens N Love? Visit LinensNLove.org or follow us on Instagram @LinensNLove to stay connected with the Linens N Love community!
Edited by: Ira Gupta, Director of Research Bloggers
