WITH THE emergence of COVID-19 has come the resurrection of single-use plastics, prompting renewed concern over pollution and calls for the considered management of waste generated by the global response to the pandemic.

“COVID-19 has led to a greater production and consumption of household and personal health-related products that could be single-use and contain valuable resources like plastics, textiles, metals, and electronics,”noted Chris Corbin, programme officer for the pollution and communications subprogrammes with the Ecosystems Division of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

“COVID-19 waste, and any other waste, must be collected and treated adequately to avoid littering or uncontrolled incineration, causing negative impacts to human health, ecosystem quality, biodiversity, including impacts on soil, rivers, coastal lines and in the marine system. For countries in the Caribbean who are so heavily dependent on their natural resources m,anagement of waste is critical,” he said.

According to Corbin, there is no question of the value such products have created as countries do battle with the highly infectious disease that has infected more than 23 million people and claimed more than 800,000 lives to date.

“There is no doubt that single-use plastics, including surgical masks, have been vital in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some countries have reported reduction in overall solid waste generated, while others report increases, specifically in plastic waste, not just from masks and gloves, but also, for example, from home deliveries of food. Single-use plastics have been particularly important for front-line health workers and enabling home delivery of basic goods,” the UNEP programme officer said.

“However, the images of medical waste piling up outside hospitals, and used personal protective equipment floating in coastal waters and washing up on the world’s beaches, illustrate yet again that we have a serious challenge to managing the use and disposal of single-use plastics, especially in developing countries and small islands, such as Jamaica,” he added.

Marine scientist Professor Mona Webber is of a similar view.

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