Over 50 Million Pounds Of Pandemic Plastic Has Wound Up In The Ocean

A new study shows that the COVID-19 pandemic required the production of over eight million tons of plastic in the forms of medical waste and approximately 25,000 tons it entered the ocean over the past several months.

To calculate the volume of pandemic-related plastic that wound up in the ocean, the scientists mapped out the path plastics would take from major medical centers across the world into local water bodies that connect with the ocean. They determined that 369 major rivers ferried plastics from medical centers to the ocean.

From the onset of the pandemic through August 2021, the researches found that nearly half of plastic waste came from Asia (46%) where mask-wearing is more common, with Europe, and North/South America making up much of the remaining portion. The model further suggests that by 2100, nearly all pandemic plastic will end up on coastlines or the ocean floor.

It is important to note that medical waste comprised most of the plastic refuse, while ‘civilian’ personal protection equipment, packaging from online shopping, and testing kits made up less than 15 percent of pandemic-related debris.

The study’s authors, which reside at institutions in the United States and China, call for environmentally conscientious medical waste management practices, stating that “this poses a long-lasting problem for the ocean environment” and noting that developing countries could especially use support in establishing such protocols.

Of course, the pandemic is not the only concern when it comes to curbing global plastic waste. The U.S. plastics industry is on track to cause more environmental damage than coal (by 2030). And, although many developing countries have veered away from processing developed countries’ recyclables, local criminal organizations may be accepting it anyway, leading to further plastic accumulation on their shorelines.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/priyashukla/2021/11/10/over-50-million-pounds-of-pandemic-plastic-has-wound-up-in-the-ocean/?sh=19298dad2c38