The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of the global waste management system, and in the race to produce exponentially more personal protective equipment (PPE), brought on environmental collateral damage, particularly to the ocean. This indirect impact highlights an urgent need to invest in the waste management industry that can turn this crisis into a growth opportunity and support lives and livelihoods that depend on its sustainability.
First, there are a few important ways the pandemic has worsened the fragility of the global waste management system, particularly in countries with weak infrastructure. Lockdowns halted more than 80 percent of the recycling value chain in Vietnam, the Philippines and India. By April, more than 45 percent of recycling facilities in the United Kingdom reported disruptions to operations, due to the pandemic response.
Collapsing oil prices also mean less demand for recycled materials as a feedstock for products and packaging, and the market for these materials has been seriously affected. Since March, recyclers across South and Southeast Asia have seen on average a 50 percent drop in demand for their products and a 21 percent drop in sales prices — affecting lives and livelihoods. Read more…
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