Plastic Free Communities Join Forces with National Geographic for research on PPE Pollution

How many masks have you seen on your beaches, streets and footpaths since the start of the global pandemic? Have you seen a marked increase in single-use plastic where you live as a result of lockdown and Covid-19? 

Working with National Geographic and the University of Plymouth, Surfers Against Sewage is looking into the effects Coronavirus has had on plastic pollution across the UK, from the heart of Scotland to the beaches of Cornwall, the streets of London to the coast of Wales. 

With COVID-19 the priority is people’s health. And so it should be. But what are the indirect effects of the virus on the environment?

There have been positive environmental changes as a result of COVID-19. For example, international lockdowns have meant that air pollution and noise levels have fallen significantly in most countries (1).

However, there has also been negative impact, particularly with the rise of single use plastic and personal protective equipment (PPE), which is still in the infancy of understanding.

Plastic Packaging gained popularity with both consumers and providers due to safety concerns around COVID-19. With a growing preference for fresh-food packaged in plastic containers (to avoid food contamination and to extend shelf-life), and for the use of single-use food packaging and plastic bags to carry groceries (2).

On top of this, COVID-19 has triggered an estimated global use of 129 billion face masks and 65 billion gloves every month. The increased waste production related to PPE soon became accompanied by the increased use and disposal of other single-use plastics (SUP) (3). For instance, global demand of plastics is expected to increase by 40% in packaging and 17% in other applications, including medical uses (4).

WHAT WE ARE DOING

On the basis of these findings, we have set out on this research project alongside the University of Plymouth and National Geographic, to delve deeper and start to truly understand the indirect effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the environment.

We have a team of dedicated volunteers from our Plastic Free Communities network supporting us in this research. And with the data that they are collecting across the UK every month for 6 months we will be able to:

1. Explore and investigate the impact COVID-19 has had on businesses and individuals in terms of plastic usage.
2. Understand the proportion of personal protective equipment (PPE) compared to other litter, using Marine Debris Tracker App.

The data collection phase of the projects started in April and is running until September, for a total of six monthly collections per volunteer. So far we have collected 31,680 debris items from all over the UK, and we still have two months to go.

Alongside this on the ground research from our committed Community Leads, Plastic Free Communities has also rolled out its biggest ever impact study, looking at how effective the campaign has been and understand how Covid has affected single use plastic use by businesses and individuals.

HOW CAN YOU HELP? 

Whether you live in a Plastic Free Community or not, you can download the Debris Tracker app, choose to track for Surfers Against Sewage, and have a go. Download the full ‘How-To guide’ here. Any additional data collected by SAS supporters will feed into the wider understanding of the effects of Covid 19 on plastic pollution.

Once we’ve got all collections done then the team at Plymouth Uni will work their magic to pull the data together, producing a research paper and report on the project findings.

By understanding the changes, both through industry and behaviour, it will identify the changes in plastic use, and subsequently highlight key areas were solutions need to be addressed.

Find out how you can cut plastic during Covid here

Find out more about local Plastic Free Communities here

Sign up for your individual action plan to start cutting your plastic use today here

REFERENCES

1. Zambrano-Monserrate et al. (2020). Indirect effects of COVID-19 on the environment. Science of The Total Environment Volume 728, 1 August 2020, 138813. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138813
2. Patrício Silva et al., (2021). Increased plastic pollution due to COVID-19 pandemic: Challenges and recommendations. Chemical Engineering Journal, Volume 405, 1 February 2021, 126683. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2020.126683
3. Ford, (2020). Increased plastic pollution due to COVID-19 pandemic: Challenges and recommendations. Chem Eng J. 2021 Feb 1; 405: 126683. Published online 2020 Aug 17. Available from: doi: 10.1016/j.cej.2020.126683
4. Prata et al., (2020). Increased plastic pollution due to COVID-19 pandemic: Challenges and recommendations. Chem Eng J. 2021 Feb 1; 405: 126683. Published online 2020 Aug 17. Available from: doi: 10.1016/j.cej.2020.126683