1-. Pollution driven by huge increase in mask sales

The promotion of mask wearing to slow the spread of COVID-19 has led to an extraordinary increase in the production of disposable masks. UNCTAD, a UN trade body, estimates that global sales will be some $166 billion this year, up from around $800 million in 2019. Recent media reports, showing videos and photos of divers picking up masks and gloves, littering the waters around the French Riviera, were a wake-up call for many, refocusing minds on the plastic pollution issue, and a reminder that politicians, leaders and individuals need to address this problem. 

2-. A toxic problem

Around 75 per cent of the used masks, as well as other pandemic-related waste, will end up in landfills, or floating in the seas. Moreover, UNEP, the UN Environment Program, estimates the financial cost, in areas such as tourism and fisheries, at around $40 billion. UNEP warned that, if the large increase in medical waste, much of it made from single-use plastics, is not managed soundly, uncontrolled dumping could result. The potential consequences, says UNEP, which has produced a series of factsheets on the subject, include public health risks from infected used masks, and the open burning or uncontrolled incineration of masks, leading to the release of toxins in the environment, and to secondary transmission of diseases to humans. UNEP urges governments to treat the management of waste - safe handling and final disposal -, including medical and hazardous waste, as an essential public service. “Plastic pollution was already one of the greatest threats to our planet before the coronavirus outbreak,” says Pamela Coke-Hamilton, UNCTAD’s director of international trade. “The sudden boom in the daily use of certain products to keep people safe and stop the disease is making things much worse.”

3-. Existing solutions could cut plastics by 80 per cent

The study, “Breaking the Plastic Wave: A Comprehensive Assessment of Pathways Towards Stopping Ocean Plastic Pollution”, endorsed by UNEP, forecasts that, if no action is taken, the amount of plastics dumped into the ocean will triple by 2040, from 11 to 29 million tons per year. However, this state of affairs can change for the better. Around 80 per cent of plastic pollution could be eliminated over this same period, simply by replacing inadequate regulation, changing business models, introducing incentives leading to the reduced production of plastics, designing products and packaging that can be more easily recycled, and expanding waste collection, particularly in lower income countries.

4-. Global cooperation is essential

In its July analysis of plastics, UNCTAD came to the conclusion that global trade policies also have an important role to play in reducing pollution. Many countries have introduced regulations that mention plastics over the last decade, an indicator of growing concern surrounding the issue. However, UNCTAD analysis points out the need, for trade policies to be truly effective, of coordinated and global rules. “The way countries have been using trade policy to fight plastic pollution has mostly been uncoordinated, which limits the effectiveness of their efforts, says Ms. Coke-Hamilton. “There are limits to what any country can achieve on its own.”

5-. Promote planet and job-friendly alternatives

Whilst implementing these measures would make a huge dent in plastic pollution between now and 2040, the Pew/Systemic report acknowledges that, even in its best-case scenario, five million metric tons of plastics would still be leaking into the ocean every year. The report advises that a dramatic increase in innovation and investment, leading to technological advances would be necessary to deal comprehensively with the problem. Insofar, UNCTAD urges governments to promote non-toxic, biodegradable or easily recyclable alternatives, such as natural fibers, rice husk, and natural rubber. These products would be more environmentally-friendly and, as developing countries are key suppliers of many plastic substitutes, could provide the added benefit of providing new jobs. Bangladesh, for example, is the world’s leading supplier of jute exports, whilst Thailand and Ivory Coast account for the bulk of natural rubber exports. “There’s no single solution to ocean plastic pollution, but through rapid and concerted action we can break the plastic wave,” said Tom Dillon, Pew’s vice president: “We can invest in a future of reduced waste, better health outcomes, greater job creation, and a cleaner and more resilient environment for both people and nature.”
See  Five things about disposable masks and plastic pollution   

Photo -. Unsplash/Brian Yurasits. A face mask found during a beach cleanup in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, USA.