{"id":7040,"date":"2020-09-18T14:44:04","date_gmt":"2020-09-18T13:44:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/?p=7040"},"modified":"2023-12-13T15:06:11","modified_gmt":"2023-12-13T15:06:11","slug":"covid-19-waste-plastic-pollution-worsens-in-the-wake-of-the-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/covid-19-waste-plastic-pollution-worsens-in-the-wake-of-the-pandemic\/7040\/","title":{"rendered":"COVID-19 waste: plastic pollution worsens in the wake of the pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"
UNCTAD estimates that coronavirus lockdowns<\/a> have led to a 5% drop in global greenhouse gas emissions, however, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), which is largely made from single-use plastics, has increased considerably. Following a study conducted by Grand View Research, UNCTAD reports that global sales of disposable face masks alone are set to grow from an estimated $800m in 2019 to $166bn in 2020.<\/p>\n Pamela Coke-Hamilton, UNCTAD\u2019s director of international trade, said: \u201cPlastic pollution was already one of the greatest threats to our planet before the coronavirus outbreak. The sudden boom in the daily use of certain products to keep people safe and stop the disease is making things much worse.\u201d<\/p>\n The Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment estimates that hospitals in Wuhan produced more than 240 tonnes of waste daily at the height of the outbreak, compared with 40 tonnes during normal times.<\/p>\nHospital waste during COVID-19<\/h3>\n