Source: Ferdi Rizkiyanto
Coronavirus: Ocean littering & sustainability won’t disappear from the agenda in the long term – on the contrary
Thomas Reiner | 09.04.2020
The concerns about the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic are currently displacing all other issues and concerns. Even ocean litter, sustainability and plastic waste have had to give up their fixed place in the headlines for the moment. In March the search term “Plastic Waste” has dropped to its lowest level on Google in 2 years.
For the industry, this is an opportunity to show character and proactively promote the topic. Perhaps home office and unusual travel will give us more time to think these topics further, to start or finish projects.
Closing the loop is certainly a key issue for plastics. Here it is important not only to close the loops rhetorically, but actually. Packaging that is 80 percent recyclable still has 20 percent of its journey ahead of it. Theoretical recyclability is not a solution.
We should use the current moment. Because let us not be deceived: The issues have not been resolved. On the contrary, they will catch up with us again very soon – and then probably with even greater force than before.
After all, the current crisis is intensifying consumers’ worries, concerns and preferences on issues such as environmental protection, sustainability, animal welfare, naturalness and health. And there is no Covid19 stop in terms of regulation either.
Driving yourself instead of being driven. Now is the opportunity.
