Demand increase for disposable product during COVID-19
With the development of industry, convenient plastic bags have won unanimous praise from everyone, and the demand is large, but due to the poor biodegradability of the plastic bags themselves, and the improper supervision and disposal of waste plastic bags by the government, convenient plastic bags have become the global environment Threat. The white pollution caused by plastic bags not only endangers the global environment but also harms biological safety and human health.
In recent decades, mankind has been aware of the deterioration of the earth ‘s ecological environment, so he put forward the slogan of environmental protection and sustainable development to protect the environment. As far as white pollution is concerned, many countries and localities have proposed and implemented a plastic ban and restricted the use of plastic straws. Among them, a state in the United States stipulates that restaurants prohibit the voluntary provision of straws to guests unless the guests actively need them. It is far from solving the problem of environmental pollution.
The prevalence and spread of the COVID-19 in 2020 added another challenge to the implementation of the ban on plastic bags. To reduce the rate of infection, states in the United States are gradually lifting the ban on plastic bags, and various disposable products are being reused.
Among them, there is a saying that reusable plastic bags are like virus carriers, and the virus can spread more while being recycled. It is true that the incubation period of this virus in the body is long, and it is difficult to determine which people have been infected in public, but it is still in the incubation period and there are no clear symptoms. Studies have shown that viruses can exist on plastic surfaces for about three days. Viruses live on relatively soft materials such as reusable plastic bags for a relatively short period of time. As long as they are cleaned regularly, they are relatively safe. Therefore, it is advisable to lift the ban on plastic bags in order to protect those who do important work and to protect consumers from extreme danger (as long as plastic waste is properly handled).
The removal of the ban on plastic bags is not only related to the current epidemic but also the driving force behind an industry. During the pandemic virus, people’s demand for plastic products increased greatly, production was also great at home, and companies engaged in the plastics industry were also persuading the government to overthrow the ban on plastic bags. Before the virus appeared, although there was a ban on plastic bags, this did not affect his prosperity and development. Among them, petrochemicals were supported, and more than 300 factories were under construction.
During the epidemic, people ‘s demand for disposable products increased, and their consumption increased greatly. To avoid causing more serious plastic pollution, we should pay more efforts than before, rationally dispose of waste, increase the treatment of plastic waste, reduce the number of times the garbage is poured into the sea to ease the environmental pressure, protect the ecological environment while fighting viruses, and ensure that we are not covered by plastic garbage.
