COVID-19 Impact on Single-Use Plastics in Chemical and Materials Industry
INTRODUCTION
Single-use plastics are the type of plastic which can be used for the single time and cannot be used for further applications. Single use plastics products are made from the petrochemicals and other additives which provide strength to the single-use plastics products which increases the application in the various end-use industries. Single-use plastics products can easily be manufactured as product have small manufacturing process which also results in the less cost of production of the single-use plastics products.
Most of the single-use plastics products are non-biodegradable and some of the single-use plastics products slowly break down into smaller fragments and particles which are known as micro plastics. Several studies suggested that single-use plastics products such as bags and containers which are used in the packaging and carrying applications are made of expanded polystyrene foam which is known as Styrofoam. The materials which are used in the manufacturing of the single-use plastics products can take up to thousands of years for decompose in soil and water.
During the decomposition, the single-use plastics products releases the toxic chemicals in the soil or water which are dangerous for the aquatic life as well as for the ground water level. The single-use plastics products which is most commonly used found in the environment are cigarette butts, plastic drinking bottles, plastic grocery bags, plastic lids, food wrappers, straws and stirrers, plastic bottle caps, other types of single-use plastic bags which are used in shopping and in retail sector and other foam of single-use plastics products are used as take-away containers which are thrown after the single use.
IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON SINGLE-USE PLASTICS INDUSTRY
The pandemic situation which is created by COVID-19 has resulted into the global crisis which is evolving at high speed and scale in all the regions globally. Corona virus has started from the china country and now has reached to every place in the word. No business or industry is immune from the COVID-19 effect. Corona virus has created the pandemic situation in the word which has affected all the large manufacturing sector as well as small manufacturing and service sector.
Some of the businesses also have the positive impact of the COVID-19 as the single-use plastics products. Due to the COVID-19, the demand of the single use plastic has increased in all the regions. The COVID-19 has resurrected single-use plastic products demand in the market due to which manufacturers are able to increase their business. In global aspect, there is no denying that single-use plastic products have resulted in the saving of life for the people who are fighting against COVID-19 especially for frontline health workers and in the societies, due to which the demand for the single use plastic have increases in the pandemic situation. As we all are aware that COVID-19 virus is highly contagious and can spread through the transmission of droplets of infected person that land on objects and surfaces around the another person, due to these circumstances, the use of the single-use plastic products have increases in all the regions.
Beside the ban on the single use plastic in North America, Europe the demand of single use plastic in several other countries has increased. Single-use plastic products cannot be recycled and do not go through the disposable process which have become the worry for the government in the several
region. As during the COVID-19 the demand for the single use plastic products has increased by 50% in the residential, health care and in packaging of the food and beverages product in the global market which have the positive impact on the demand of the single-use plastics products during COVID-19. Grocery stores have sharply increased the usage of the single-use plastic bags for the packaging and carrying of the goods for the home delivery. The usages of the single use plastic products have increased in the medical and hygiene products which have resulted in the increment in the demand for the single use plastic products.
During the COVID-19 there is an exponential increase in the e-commerce due to which the demand of the single use packaging products for the essential goods and also for the food and beverage products has increased globally various applications to stop the spread of the corona virus to some extent. In the developing countries the demand for the single- use plastic bags has been increased as plastic bags are being used in the distribution of the food during the lock down as donation of food drives and food distribution have made infinitely easier and cheaper with the single-use plastic bags. With the increment in the use of the single-use plastic bags or products during the COVID-19, the several manufacturers have also invested in the business to increase the production of the single-use plastic products. The demand of the single use plastic products was more from the medical sector such as the demand for the face masks, PT kit, gloves and other hygiene products have increased which have created the positive impact on the single use plastic during the COVID-19 situation. E-commerce activities have increased in the COVID-19 situation as people are not allowed to move out due to the regulations by the government. Read more...