Pre-Covid, the world rallied against single-use plastics. There were protests in aid of eliminating single-use plastics wherever possible and consumers gathered on streets demanding that brands scrap their usage in favour of greener alternatives.
Then the pandemic hit and suddenly we all became much more reliant on these plastics, because they kept us safe.
Today, we are still checking we have our face masks before we leave the house, which (you guessed it) are a single-use plastic. This has not only increased our consumption of such material, but curiously, we are now reverting to old habits. For example, coffee shops that used to offer refills in customer’s own cups are now insisting we go back to purchasing disposable cups.
Understandably, this keeps workers safe by limiting the chance of transmission via a reusable cup, and we wholly support the need for safety.
But even though this is the most hygienic solution, we cannot ignore the impact on the environment for long, as we have already begun to undo the work we put in before the pandemic. We have all had to adjust to this ‘new normal’ and going forward, there is arguably a need to find a resolution which is both safe from the virus and safe for the environment.
That presents a major challenge, and we will discuss movements that are being made to satisfy both needs in a follow-up blog. Until then, it is interesting to consider that something once villainised is now more than ever an everyday essential.
If you have any thoughts you would like to share, we would be happy to hear from you. Join the conversation by following our company page on Linked In and also our hashtag, #floreon.
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