Coronavirus a disease for men a risk for planet
A dangerous impact of the pandemic on environment...
The spreading of the virus forced the Italian government to intensify the containment measures and, as you probably know, Italy froze. During the lockdown movements were restricted starting from flights to simple walks around your home. Every shift was forbidden. For the same reason ( the fear of infection’s increase ) factories have been closed. This situation helped reducing CO2 emissions for sure, BUT we knew this was temporary and that we will be returned back to the ordinary world. People think at the disease as an only men’s problem but this is not true. EU to prevent the virus’s spreading decide to invest in single-use plastic: every country adopted the use of gloves or masks. Some people accused EU for this little-reasoned choice but others think that was the most rapid and economic solution to the imminent problem (both the positions are valid). There is something indisputable: once again human-being’s welfare/laziness overcame the respect for our planet. The problem, in fact , came from when this plastic has to be disposed of: nobody used to wear these masks before and so it wasn’t clear the disposal’s modality. We need to consider even the incivility of some people that continue to throw away their waste not thinking at the consequences. One fact that may shock you is that here in Italy some supermarket denied their costumers to bring with them reusable bags and obliging them to use their plastic ones (for the infection’s fear) , this is of course a step back towards those environmental care measures that was becoming part of our everyday life. Together with other kinds of factories, also that ones specialized in recycling stopped their activity so We have tons of plastic waiting to be reutilized. It is impossible not to consider the fact that during the lockdown the exports of food product declined. Of course this helped reducing CO2 emissions but ,on the other hand, these products ready to be consumed started to decade and consequently they became pollution problems. So, as you can read, the situation caused by the pandemic is not so comforting for the planet as you may think. Now, alas, it is impossible to see the consequences of our behaviour...
Matthew Corsetti , 5A , 30/09/2020
Increase of distribution and use of plastic
The health crisis due to the coronavirus pandemic has completely increase the distribution and use of plastic goods that we need to prevent the virus spread. Clearly we’ve started using more single-use plastic items to help us containing and controlling the virus. Nowadays in Italy is “normal” to find street or beaches contaminated by gloves and masks; fortunately, until now, the situation is under control in our cities. Even so we think that corona virus crisis would represent a serious problem in the world fight against plastic pollution. To this point time ago we’ve seen an article where the founder of “Opération mer propre” show how in France at the Golfe-Juan (near Antibes), there were many masks and gloves and explained that this plastic proportion in the seafloor could grow up every day and consequently being a serious problem.
Fortunately we do not have only bad news regarding coronavirus, in fact a lot of cities and regions proposed ecological ideas for the protection of the environment during this rough period. For example there is little cloth shop, near Naples, that is promoting a campaign against plastic masks. They propose to their costumers handmade masks. They sell cloth and masks in combination. There are lots of types of mask with different design. Costumers can choose which one they would like to wear based on the style they enjoy. The aim is to reduce the use of plastic masks and at the same time to encourage young people using this preventing and fundamental stuff, but with style.
MARTINA MONTECALVO
VIVIANA PALMIERI
EMANUELA RICCARDI
Progress of banning platic has been stopped
Before the start of the coronavirus outbreak, cities and state were making some progress on banning plastic bags, shifting from single-use plastic to paper products and encouraging shoppers to bring reusable bags. But now health concerns over Covid-19 have reversed that progress. Some cities have rolled back the bans on plastic bags and retailers are stopping customers from using reusable bags. Since the pandemic started, COVID-19 has increased our reliance on single-use items and so there has been a significant increase in plastic waste, such as medical waste from protective equipment such as masks, gloves and gowns, and increased purchases of sanitary products such as disposable wipes and liquid soap. During the period of discomfort given by the quarantine, in which all citizens were forced to stay at home caused by the state of emergency, all this led to the disproportionate use of plastic. For example, the ability to go out only in emergencies to reach what is closest to the home has led individual families to stock up in supermarkets where most of the food is wrapped or canned in plastic wrappers. Single-use plastics are a huge environmental problem that we can continue to address by changing our behaviours.
Matilde Magliaro
Angelica Viola
Great increase but possibility for recycling
During coronavirus period, in particular during the lockdown, there was a great increase in the use of plastic ,especially in the production of disposable face masks and gloves, but there was also the possibility of further recycling, so everyone could do something ,for example: reuse the plastic in particular of the detergent containers and fill them once empty, or reuse the water bottles, etc. However, they began to make cloth masks in order to further reduce the consumption of plastic that was already largely used. Furthermore, as regards gloves, you could buy non-disposable silicone ones that can be reused maximum two or three times after having completely disinfected them or we can throw the used masks and gloves in the appropriate baskets and not on the street to avoid further pollution. In conclusion simple gestures are enough to decrease the use of plastic.
Sara Belloni
The use of plastic in times of Coronavirus
I personally haven't noticed an increase regarding the use of plastic in my life since Coronavirus spread in my country.
All the things I'm used to do in order to use less plastic, I was able to do them even in quarantine: trying to reuse plastic, like the cup in which they put icecream, which can be reused as a coffee cup, not buying water bottles made of plastic by using NaturaSì services, which makes you fill your water bottles made of glass, at a minimum cost, trying to buy food that doesn't have plastic packaging and so on.
However, the obligation to wear a mask is having an impact on how much plastic is wasted, because masks are all packed in it, but I'm trying to overcome this waste problem by buying packages of 20-30 masks inside, and not the ones which have a couple in them, that must be bought again in two or three days.
Thinking about this, I don't think Coronavirus is the reason why there could be an increase in the use of plastic, but instead is the laziness of people in quarantine that could lead to use more non-reusable plastic, like plastic plates, but I genuinely hope that people can be able to fight this instinct, for the sake of our world.
Giorgia Indoni
Fishes and plastic in the seas
Although the situation had improved during the lockdown, because of the objects that we are forced to use, there has been an inevitable increase in pollution and recovery. In addition, the packaging and containers of the items we use have also increased, such as dispensers and flasks of sanitizing.
In addition to the already large quantity of plastic we were consuming daily, the consumption of waste materials has also put waste disposal companies in a difficult situation. It is therefore not difficult to recognize these products in the streets, rivers and channels.
According to studies, air was much cleaner and less polluted during the period of lockdown. In addition, since the need for purchases is less necessary, the abandonment of plastic objects on the streets has also significantly decreased. An example of this is the Venice region, as reported by IlMeteo.net. In fact, the canal waters were clear and clean, so that it was possible to see fish swimming inside it.
As soon as the lockdown was finalised, there was a sudden return to ‘normality’. The streets started to be filled with garbage and plastic. The waters were also affected. Indeed, as the “Lega Ambiente” announced, more masks or plastic objects could be found in the sea than jellyfish. Furthermore, since buyers are afraid of contracting the virus by purchasing bulk products, they are now tending to buy food and other products, packaged with plastic packaging.
In conclusion, we can say that all the environmental results achieved during the period of the lockdown have been cancelled out, returning to a situation even worse than at the beginning.
Aurora Virginia Pedrazzoli
Simone Rossi
Emanuele Manca
Noemi Bracalè
Manuela Scardapane