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Virus Crisis Gives Throwaway Plastic a New Lease on Life

posted by cmn32480 on Saturday June 20 2020, @05:13PM   Printer-friendly
from the have-your-cake dept.

Phoenix666 writes in with this story from Phys.org:

Masks, visors, gloves or screens ... all are crucial accessories to keep COVID-19 at bay.

Other uses are manifold—from hairdressers using throwaway aprons to UN recommendations that airline food be distributed in blister packs to the bubble tents that allow some relatives to visit elderly and sick loved ones, touching them through a transparent plastic film.

Even California has had partially to lay aside its green credentials by dropping for two months a ban on single use plastic bags. In Saudi Arabia, some retail centres insist customers don wear-and-throw gloves.

Industry has been quick to highlight plastic's versatility. In March, one French plastics group stated that "without single use plastic you will no longer have wrapping to protect your food against germs."

In the long term, will fears over pandemics win out against fears over the environment?

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  • (Score: 4, Funny) by Runaway1956 on Saturday June 20 2020, @05:44PM (4 children)

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Saturday June 20 2020, @05:44PM (#1010429) Journal

    In the long term, will fears over pandemics win out against fears over the environment?

    How DARE they put their miserable lives ahead of the environment? St. Greta gonna get you!

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  • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 20 2020, @05:51PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 20 2020, @05:51PM (#1010433)

    Hornet's nest: kicked.

  • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 20 2020, @06:35PM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 20 2020, @06:35PM (#1010442)

    Think how much plastic 100,000 Americans would have used if they hadn't contracted COVID-19 and died. Coronavirus has done more in 90 days for the environment than St Greta accomplished in 17 years.