The Food Packaging Association (FPA) has asked the Wales government to postpone the ban on a number of disposable items due to coronavirus, Rupec reports citing the BBC.
Consumer concerns are caused by the situation with coronavirus and unhygienic reusable dishes. These considerations prompted the association to appeal to the Wales government with a proposal to postpone the ban on disposable items – including straws and utensils, until 2022.
The coronovirus outbreak has revitalized the debate between proponents and opponents of disposable plastic. It should be noted that the current epidemic exposed the deficit in the production of hygiene products – medical masks, glasses (to prevent infection through the mucous membrane of the eye), which are also made from polymers. No less significant was the problem with food hygiene, which is ensured by the use of disposable tableware, which Starbucks measure is aimed at.
Opponents of plastic packaging call such measures unreasonable, believing that this will lead to the cancellation of a number of previous achievements of programs aimed at reducing the consumption of plastics. For example, Judith Enk, the former regional administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, expressed doubts that returning to disposable glasses will make someone safer.
The real situation is such that around the world, despite the general drop in demand for consumer goods caused by the pandemic, one can clearly distinguish the increase in the production of synthetic fibers and rubbers intended for the production of medical products and hygiene products. So, the American Chemical Council reported that in January the global production of synthetic fiber grew by 11.6%, rubbers – by 10.3%, compared with last year, the results of the first quarter are likely to be no less impressive.
Earlier it was reported that the Ministry of Environment and Energy of Greece launched the campaign “Greece without plastic one-time use”, it was launched by Minister Kostis Hadzidakis, who, along with volunteers of non-profit organizations, arrived on the beach of Shinia in eastern Attica on Saturday morning.