Plastic packaging waste continued to surge high alongside hygiene concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the Circuit Breaker, Singapore’s stay home measure, in place, there was an increase in food delivery takeaway orders. As a result, the consumption of single-use plastics rose as well. This was alongside an increase in other plastic packaging waste, such as hand sanitizer bottles and face masks.
A survey done by the National University of Singapore found that an extra 1,334 tonnes of plastic waste, equivalent to the weight of 92 double-decker buses, was generated from such plastic packaging during the two-month circuit breaker period.
More needs to be done to encourage households and retail shops to adopt more sustainable practices, even during a pandemic. Is there a way to find a more sustainable “new normal?”
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