The increase in protective equipment against the Covid-19 pandemic has caused an exponential rise in plastic pollution on the planet, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) warned on Monday (27.07.202).
In a release, the main organ of the UN General Assembly explained the importance of regulating the production and consumption of plastics, and called for the identification of substitutes that are not made from fossil fuels.
Despite a 28 per cent increase in trade measures on plastics notified to the World Trade Organization, the fight against plastic pollution is not receiving the attention it deserves, the UNCTAD text stressed.
There is a lack of coordination in the application of trade policies which limits the effectiveness of efforts, said the organization's director of international trade, Pamela Coke-Hamilton.
He added that the increased daily use of products intended to protect people and help stop the spread of the virus is the root cause of the increase in contamination.
Daily waste from masks, gloves, bottles, hand sanitizers and food packaging is causing a tidal wave of waste which were already worrying before the Covid-19 pandemic, he noted.
The UN agency said that the adoption of social distancing measures led to an increase in online shopping and takeaway food and also led to an increase in large amounts of packaging.
According to estimates by Grand View Research, global sales of disposable masks will increase from $800 million in 2019 to $166 billion in 2020, plus waste.
The UN Environment Programme estimates that the indirect negative effects of plastic will add up to $4000 billion each year in the fishing, tourism and maritime transport sectors.
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