The Revival of Single-Use Plastic in the Pandemic

Photo from The Guardian

It’s no surprise that the usage of single-use plastic has skyrocketed during the pandemic. In March 2020, no one was certain how the virus was spreading, and we all took every precaution we could think of. One of the main changes many of us made was putting aside reusable items and choosing single-use options: paper towels, disinfectant wipes, disposable masks, and single-use silverware. This switch has had drastic effects on the already polluted environment: OceansAsia estimated that 1.56 billion single-use masks entered the oceans in 2020.

Photo from Unsplash

Now, as I write this in August 2021, we know that the virus is not passed through surfaces but through the air, so the essentialness of single-use items is not as great as at first believed. However, with the sudden panic the pandemic brought, people have suffered trauma from having their lives upended, and returning to sustainable pre-pandemic practices is a great challenge. But with our current knowledge of how the virus is spread, we can begin to safely return to our sustainable pre-pandemic practices. Making a conscious return to pre-pandemic practices can help us reclaim that sense of safety we lost when the world shut down. 

Check out these tips on how to switch back to sustainable practices and become low waste!

1.       Hang onto your reusable masks.

If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that things can change in a moment. And as much as we would like to deny it, the pandemic isn’t over and the CDC has advised wearing masks indoors again, even if you’re vaccinated. Another reason to keep your reusable masks is to wear them during the winter flu season. Flu was down exponentially in the winter of 20-21 (only 2,038 reported cases in 20-21, as opposed to 38 million in 19-20) because people were wearing masks, social distancing, and vaccinating. As well, we can also repurpose our masks (like making them into change purses or business card holders) which will keep them from ending up in our oceans.

2.       Donate your new and unused single-use masks.

Local hospitals and clinics accept donations of new and unused masks. There was a massive shortage of masks for health care workers at the start of the pandemic, so donating your unused masks to health care facilities will give them that necessary extra supply.

3.       Turn your single-use masks into multi-use masks.

If you want to keep wearing your single-use masks, wear them as many times as you can. The World Health Organization advises that you wear them until they are damp. Once you’re ready to throw your mask away, dispose of it properly in the trash can. You can also cut the ear straps to help protect wildlife if the mask does end up as litter. And once you finish wearing your single use masks, consider investing in some cloth masks which will be more friendly for your wallet and the environment!

Photo from Civil Eats

4.       Return to reusable cloths instead of paper towels or disinfectant wipes.

At the start of the pandemic, the CDC advised to use paper towels to clean surfaces, but since we now know that the virus doesn’t spread across surfaces, we can safely return to using our reusable rags that we can wash and use again.

5.       If you order takeout, specifically request no utensils.

I have a whole drawer filled with single-use plastic utensils now, since I seldom use the ones restaurants provide when I order takeout. To combat this, I have started requesting “no utensils” in the “special instructions” box on online takeout order forms. I also ask that they don’t include any napkins, salt or pepper packets, or any sauces that I have at home. When you finish with your takeout boxes, make sure to recycle or compost what you can and properly dispose of any Styrofoam containers in the trash.