Page 26 - Plastics News April 2020

that the plastic bag ban's enforcement will wait until nutrition value of the food materials remains as it is.
January 15, 2021, according to the trade publication Amazon and other e-retailers are hiring employees to
Plastics News. "These emergency measures will keep up with the demand of consumers who are
support the state's response to the coronavirus and staying home and ordering what they need, and all of
mitigate its spread in Maine," Mills said, as Plastics this additional e-commerce requires additional
News reported. The sudden reversal of policies meant secondary packaging which must be properly
disposed of.
Austrian environmental consultancy Denkstatt
recently conducted a study to determine the impact
of farmers, retailers, and consumers using recyclable
products (wood, tins, glass bottles/jars, and
cardboard) to package their goods rather than
plastic. What they found was that the mass of
packaging would increase by a whopping 3.6 times
and would take more than double the energy to make,
thereby increasing greenhouse gases by an
to reduce waste threatens to undo environmental astounding 2.7 times.
gains various states and cities have made.
One common proposal for replacing plastics with
"Concerns around food hygiene due to COVID-19 could different materials is to replace plastic bags with
increase plastic packaging intensity, undoing some of paper ones in grocery stores. While this may sound
the early progress made by companies towards a like a more sustainable solution, the data does not
circular economy," said a March 12 report from support it. By volume, the paper takes up more room
consulting firm Bloomberg NEF, It is not immediately in landfills and does not disintegrate as rapidly as
clear whether other states will take similar measures, plastic. Because of this, plastic bags leave half the
with plastic bag ban legislation still being considered carbon footprint of cotton and paper bags.
recently in states such as Washington and Maryland. In 2020, the argument to remove plastics from our
Washington's state legislature passed a ban on 10 way of life entirely is not a feasible option. Plastics'
March, but it is still awaiting the governor's signature.
contribution to the health of our environment, the
Maryland's House of Delegates voted on 12 March to safety and durability of our healthcare products, the
approve legislation creating a bag ban. That fuel efficiency on our roads, and the growth of the
legislation will now be considered by the Maryland economy —and so much more-- tells us that it is worth
Senate.
putting our best efforts towards understanding this
Safety Vs Sustainability debate further.
People rely on plastic products and packaging to
improve our quality of life in several ways. Plastics
enhance health and wellness; improve access to safe,
nutritious foods; and reduce environmental impacts.
For example, we rely on sterile plastics to help safely
administer medicines and lifesaving medical
treatments, while preventing the spread of infection
and disease. Plastics also help keep food fresher
longer, helping to prevent waste, food poisoning, and
illness.
With the pandemic, the amount of single use plastic
and packaging is growing SUP food packaging
increases during the pandemic for it ensures safety
and hygiene. Also with Plastics packaging the

APRIL 2020 23 Plastics News