We have done it again! Not only does this expose human behaviour to a great extent, it also exposes the serious short comings globally in the waste management industry, from collection to processing & our short term thinking in relation to design & manufacturing.
Are we going to ban single use masks too? The answer is a resounding NO! Mask pollution is no different than Pastic pollution, they are both man made. But we aren’t going to the make a massive hue and cry around mask disposal yet, because it effects every one of us. Similarly many individuals who showed serious concern about the use of Virgin plastic, are readily using ever increasing amounts of it, out of fear & convenience.
So in my opinion this time must be used for effectively communicating to consumers/citizens proper waste disposal practises & start holding them financially responsible along with revamping packaging and other manufacturing processes so that we don’t produce items that cannot be recycled, invest heavily in waste management infrastructure & bring serious hard hitting policy reform from the governments end to rocket this sector towards building a robust circular economy.
Governments, brands & manufacturers need to be also held financially responsible for enacting policies that support polluting industries, trying to block progress made to mitigate the impact of waste on our environment & continued ever increasing production of virgin plastic & materials that are not recyclable.