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Impact of COVID-19 on single-use plastics and the environment in Europe
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This study assessed the environmental and climate impacts of single-use plastics surging during the COVID-19 pandemic, including disposable masks, gloves, and packaging from e-commerce and takeaway food, across Europe from April to September 2020. The report finds that pandemic-driven lockdowns and personal protective equipment mandates substantially increased plastic pollution with significant ecological consequences.
The COVID19 pandemic is having immense effects on societies across the world. Apart from far reaching health and economic consequences, the pandemic also has impacts on the environment and climate. To reduce infection risks, national governments imposed lockdowns, introduced stay-at-home measures and recommended or obliged the use of personal protection equipment. This has resulted in increased use of single-use plastic products, such as disposable masks, gloves and packaging. This report provides an overview of the environmental and climate impacts of single-use face masks and gloves used for COVID-19 protection, and of plastic packaging used for e-commerce and take-away food deliveries, for the period from April to September 2020.
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Researchers used life cycle assessment to quantify the environmental impacts of widespread PPE use by the general population of Lombardy, Italy during COVID-19, finding that increased single-use mask and glove consumption generated substantial plastic waste with significant end-of-life greenhouse gas emissions and plastic leakage risks.
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Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.