Published in the Financial Times, we explain how the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the increase of plastic consumption and how this has impacted the global waste management system:
The letter published in the FT highlights that while the Covid-19 pandemic has led to an increase in plastic consumption, it has also exposed vulnerabilities in the global waste management system, there is high risk of undoing progress made by initiatives tackling the plastic pollution problem. As local governments re-direct their waste management budgets to tackle the pandemic, there is a risk to waste collection services, which rely on government support (up to 20%) to operate. In a worst case scenario, these services can be suspended, leaving residents with no choice but to burn or dump their trash into the ocean.
Read the full article: Pandemic Hampers Push to Reduce Plastic Waste from Andre Kuncoroyekti (Chief Delivery, Project STOP) and Joi Danielson (Asia Programme Director, Project STOP) at https://www.ft.com/content/bb805101-29cd-4443-b874-d5c0185c4a42
