HOW THE PANDEMIC HELPED AND HURT THE ENVIRONMENT

In China, 224 billion masks were made and exported last year- that's compared to 5 billion in 2019. In order to make each mask, 50-60 grams of carbon dioxide must be released into the atmosphere. That means that at a bare minimum, 13.5 billion kilograms of carbon dioxide were put into the atmosphere from the production of masks alone.

The environmental cost of producing masks, hand sanitizer, and other PPE has been so significant that an exact number cannot be calculated. All of this equipment is used and then discarded as biohazards, medical waste, or plastics that will outlive those who made them.

Medical waste isn't the only environmental hazard that has increased over the past year: since the pandemic, the world has seen a massive rise in disposable, single-use products. Out of fear of possible contagion, many companies and individuals have relied on disposable products for travel, food, shopping, and working- essentially, single-use plastics have emerged to dominate everyday life. People use plastic bags so that they can be easily disposed of or decontaminated. Single-service containers like to-go cups and boxes have seen a major increase that has almost derailed years worth of progress in reusable products. Before the pandemic, companies all over the world tried to reduce their waste with reusable containers, edible utensils, and biodegradable food boxes, among countless other initiatives. But after many dine-in restaurants shifted focus to pick-up or delivery, many of these sustainability efforts went out the window.

But it's not all bad news- several companies have started to fight against the environmental impacts of COVID-19. The most prominent example is Starbucks’ "borrow a cup" program. They are offering reward points to customers who agree to use a pre-sanitized cup. The customer uses the cup, giving a $1 deposit, and returns it after they finish. The cup can then be used for several other customers. They expect each reusable cup to handle the same amount of product that 30 disposable cups can.

In New York, one company is partnering with cleaning supplies distributors to create sustainable vending machines. Algramo, a company that promotes sustainable packaging, has come up with multiple ways to reduce disposable products. They’ve partnered with Clorox and Pine-Sol to place special vending machines all around New York City.

In order to use these vending machines, a customer must purchase ‘smart packaging’ that they can bring to the machines whenever they want. The machines refill the packaging and charge the customers based on exactly how much product went in. In this way, customers can decide how much product they want and can get cheaper versions of bulk products. And this initiative is far from new- it has been prominent for years in several South American cities, and has helped to prevent the unchecked use of disposable products.

Coca-Cola originally launched their ‘World Without Waste’ plan in 2018. They pledged that half of their packaging would be made of recycled materials by 2030. They also promised that at least 60% of their packaging could be reused or recycled by consumers in 2030. However, major setbacks from the pandemic almost halted their progress entirely. Coca-Cola was selling 25% less in 2020 than it had in previous years, so in late August, they restructured their entire company to prioritise production and cut unnecessary expenses. The company ultimately decided to cut funding for multiple programs, including some of their sustainability efforts. But despite their budget cuts and restructuring, they have recently made an effort to return to their original sustainability goals.

In February of this year, they debuted a bottle made of entirely recycled plastic to be launched in California, Texas, New York, and Florida. Coca-Cola produces over 100 billion plastic bottles yearly, so this effort promises to make a big impact. Not only is this a major accomplishment for worldwide waste reduction, but Coca-Cola's efforts are proving that big companies can make an effort to invest in the environment without going bankrupt.

But in some areas, the pandemic had mixed results. A decrease in tourism had huge impacts on small towns, major industries, and the environment. Tourism can be extremely beneficial to a community, and is a driving factor behind the world's economy. In fact, it accounted for 10% of the global economy in 2019- but in 2020, that number dropped to 5%. Many smaller towns and cities rely on income from tourism, so some of these smaller cities lost the majority of their budget.

The Brevard Zoo saw major budget cuts in 2020, as there weren’t enough tourists to support the zoo through ticket sales and government funding dried up. They’re trying to raise one million dollars in order to continue running at the same capacity. The specifics of their financial situation aren’t entirely clear, but zoo representatives have discussed their current budget cuts. If they fail to bring in enough money, the zoo will have to reduce employees' hours, reduce their total employees, and eliminate many employment positions.

The zoo may be forced to reduce its animal populations, remove more sustainable practices, or let go more employees to stay open if the issue continues. But they have made an effort to stay committed to their sustainability goals. Despite budget cuts, Brevard Zoo is still using electric vehicles, investing in ethically sourced palm oil, and partnering with companies dedicated to conservation.

Animals in the wild, on the other hand, may be benefiting from the pandemic. With a decrease in tourism, many species across the globe have seen major resurgences. The United Kingdom has reported a major increase in their deer population. Some of the stags have even been seen roaming around the quarantined cities looking for food. Reports of endangered sea turtle eggs are rising in Lebanon, Florida, and Maui. With less tourism, they’ve been able to return to beaches that have been dangerous for years. Humpback whales have been loving the lack of noise pollution from planes, cities, and boats. They’ve been heard communicating from extreme distances, a feat that has been impossible to achieve in the last few decades.

With all of these massive changes, one pressing environmental issue still looms: global warming. Researchers from Penn State University found that this past decade has been the hottest on record. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), these rising temperatures have triggered extreme weather events all around the globe. There were almost 60,000 wildfires in 2020. New records of droughts and of rainfall have been reached all across the U.S. and globally.

The big question is how can the world, and specifically the U.S., combat this? On April 22, 40 of the world’s biggest leaders gathered to discuss climate change. During this conference, President Biden committed to reducing the U.S.’s emissions by 50% by 2030. The President of Brazil promised to end deforestation in his country, which furthers global warming by reducing the amount of trees available to convert greenhouse gases. Most other countries have pledged to reduce carbon dioxide emissions with various methods, but few have addressed other growing concerns, such as pollution and waste.

In 2019, nobody could possibly have predicted the extent to which a pandemic would come to affect our daily lives. While in the beginning, predictions about the pandemic's impact on the environment were certainly rosy- animals would come back to live in cities, pollution and emissions would disappear, nature would heal itself- the environmental reality hasn't been so bright. But as the effects of COVID-19 abate, reusable products and other long-missed aspects of pre-pandemic life will return, and the world's commitment to bettering the environment is sure to be stronger than ever.