On 29 September 2020 UNEP/MAP and its Mediterranean Marine Litter Node, in coordination with the Global Partnership on Marine Litter (GPML), hosted a webinar to shed light on the mooted issue of plastic waste caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. MED POL Programme Management Officer Mohamad Kayyal moderated the online event, which focused on the Mediterranean and saw more than 100 participants.
Gaetano Leone, Coordinator, UNEP/MAP-Barcelona Convention Secretariat, pointed to the boom in the manufacturing of personal protective equipment (PPE) and a visible return to plastic food packaging, especially during the lockdowns. He observed that, if the global population adheres to the standard of one disposable face mask per day, the pandemic could well result in a staggering monthly consumption of 129 billion face masks and 65 billion gloves globally.
Mr. Leone also warned of a heightened risk of delaying or reversing policy on single-use plastic reduction. When oil prices plummeted during lockdowns, manufacture of virgin plastics from fossil fuels became cheaper than recycling, thus adding to concerns about a COVID-19 triggering a pandemic of plastic.
“We need urgent and coordinated commitment to circular economy approaches, including recycling practices and strict policies against plastic pollution, “Mr. Leone said, adding that the UNEP/MAP-Barcelona Convention system, including the Regional Activity Centres, supports action for a green renaissance in the Mediterranean.
Ms. Heidi Savelli–Soderberg presented the programmes implemented by GPML to tackle the relentless tide of marine litter.
Four speakers representing government, scientific and civil organizations addressed the issue of plastic waste in relation to COVID-19.
- In a presentation titled “Fighting Plastic Pollution: another Side effect of COVID-19,” Dr. Eva Alessi, Head of Sustainable Consumption and Natural Resources at WWF, provided an insight of the magnitude of the plastic pollution issue, its impact on the marine environment, and how human behavior changed after COVID-19 pandemic.
- Dr. Francois Galgani, Project Manager at the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (IFREMER) and Head of the Laboratory of Environment and Resources in Corsica (France), spoke about the “Impact of COVID-19 related plastics in the Mediterranean Sea— evidence and monitoring.” He shared preliminary findings of monitoring activities taking place in wastewater treatment plants with the aim of uncovering impacts on the marine environment.
- Dr. Daniela Tulone, Founder and President of EcoSurge, offered an understanding of the impact of COVID-19 from the perspective of “consumers perception through web contents”. Her presentation revealed ways in which the pandemic has affected plastic litter generation, with insights into the global plastic market and plastic packaging.
- Ms. Marta Beltran, Director of Projects at Rezero, offered a case-study of the the impacts of COVID 19 on plastic waste generation and collection in Catalonia (Spain). She confirmed the rise of single use plastics, and proposed concrete measures for prevention and reuse.
