The Challenges of Covid-19 Pandemic on Improving Plastic Waste Recycling Rates

Overview

Journal Sustain Prod Consum

Publisher Elsevier

Date 2021 Nov 1

PMID 34722849

Citations 8

Authors

Norman Ebner

Eleni Iacovidou

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The plastic system is burdened with many inefficiencies that have been exposed, and exacerbated, by the outbreak of the coronavirus (SARS-CoV2) pandemic in December 2019, widely known as COVID-19, and which threaten society's commitment to transition to a sustainable plastics economy. This perspective aims to depict the structural and systemic inefficiencies of the plastics system, and illuminate: (a) the vulnerability of the recycling sector to macroeconomic - particularly to oil price - shocks; (b) the economics of the recycling system; (c) the political dimensions of the plastics sector. It emphasises that is unwise to think about plastics recycling as an insular and linear problem, due to the complexity and interconnectedness of different parts of the plastic system that affect and are affected by the intertwined processes, stakeholders and values. That said, the transition to a sustainable plastics system requires an integrated, knowledge-based systems approach that interrogates the dynamics and causal-effect relationships of the interconnected challenges. This analytical scrutiny can indicate where interventions are needed in the plastics system towards creating transformational change.

Citing Articles

Plastic waste management during and post Covid19 pandemic: Challenges and strategies towards circular economy.

Ganguly R, Chakraborty S Heliyon. 2024; 10(4):e25613.

PMID: 38370243 PMC: 10869756. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25613.

Analysis of the community behavioural patterns in management of household plastic waste due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka.

Jayasinghe R, Abeyrathna W, Lythgoe D, Hendawitharana M, Liyanage C, Williams K Case Stud Chem Environ Eng. 2023; 6:100246.

PMID: 37520918 PMC: 9385346. DOI: 10.1016/j.cscee.2022.100246.

Effects of Circularity Interventions in the European Plastic Packaging Sector.

Cimpan C, Bjelle E, Budzinski M, Wood R, Stromman A Environ Sci Technol. 2023; 57(27):9984-9995.

PMID: 37384586 PMC: 10339715. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c08202.

A cross-jurisdictional comparison on residential waste collection rates during earlier waves of COVID-19.

Mahmud T, Ng K, Hasan M, An C, Wan S Sustain Cities Soc. 2023; 96:104685.

PMID: 37274541 PMC: 10225168. DOI: 10.1016/j.scs.2023.104685.

The Key to Solving Plastic Packaging Wastes: Design for Recycling and Recycling Technology.

Ding Q, Zhu H Polymers (Basel). 2023; 15(6).

PMID: 36987265 PMC: 10053126. DOI: 10.3390/polym15061485.

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