Why Covid is bad for the environment

[brad465]

There's been plenty of suggestions covid has been good for the environment, due to reduced pollution from lockdowns and more working from home reducing commutes. However, I think in many other ways it's actually bad for the environment, and when arguing against certain behaviours/mandates in relation to covid, I think the following would gain far more traction than freedom/liberty reasons (even though that's a true cost):

- Masks require physical material and manufacturing, which creates pollution and drains natural resources. Then once used they get disposed of, filling up landfill sites faster, and even worse the oceans and other water bodies. These disrupt/impact ecosystems that humans rely on for food and survival through ecosystem processes.
- Tests also use up resources and create pollution in manufacture, but also, potentially also for masks, all our LF tests seem to be made in China, which means they're shipped halfway around the world to get to the UK, and probably long distances for other countries too. There's also a high proportion of single-use plastic in the testing kits, and we know all too well why that's bad.
- Ditto above 2 for vaccines, especially if 3-4 doses a year for the whole population takes off.
- Something well discussed on this forum, public transport cutbacks and discouragement leads more to using private cars, leading to more vehicle emissions.
- The whole pandemic, despite COP(out) 26 going ahead, is distracting our efforts from climate change action. Yes some key campaigners are trying to remain active, but this won't be at the forefront of most people's minds when covid remains as such. All this wasted borrowing is also money that would have done far more good on environmental action, and now there's far less money for such causes.

 

[DelayRepay]

May I add some more?

- We are told that to reduce emissions, buildings need to be well insulated. We are also told to have windows open during the winter to prevent the spread of Covid. So we'll be wasting energy heating buildings only for the heat to go straight out through the open windows.

- All the hand sanitizers and additional cleaning materials come in plastic bottles too.

- Although not so much the case now, during the early days there was a return to disposable plastic to avoid contact with things that other people had touched. For example coffee shops did not allow re-usable cups for a time, cafes using disposable crockery, supermarket home delivery services reverting to putting everything in plastic bags...

- Around here, there have been periods when various recycling collections have been missed. The council's advice is either store it at home, or, of you can't store it, put it in the residual (non recycled) waste bin.

 

[ChrisC]

- All the hand sanitizers and additional cleaning materials come in plastic bottles too.

The plastic bottles is an issue but the thing that really concerns me is the actual contents of some of these hand sanitizers and cleaning materials. The millions of gallons of hand sanitizer that is being used can’t be good for the environment.

 

[kristiang85]

Then there's local environmental issues - parts of the UK have become very overcrowded with domestic tourists due to being unable to travel or unwilling to jump through the testing hoops. This has increased vehicle pollution in parts of the Lakes, Snowdonia, Cornwall, etc. and of course vegetation destruction from the plethora of walkers.

 

[yorkie]

I agree that our response to Covid is very bad for the environment.

What I find amazing is that some people who are supportive of the above measures purport to care about the environment. I find that absolutely staggering that they can make such a claim and expect to be taken seriously.

 

[Mojo]

Some of the changes have however been dropped. I remember for quite a while last year Lidl were wrapping all their bakery items in individual plastic bags - not sure how long this lasted but it’s back to being able to pick up your own items using tongs.

You also had the government temporarily suspending the plastic bag charge for on-line grocery deliveries; although AIUI this was more to do with allowing supermarkets to spend less time with each customer and offer more delivery slots rather than as a Covid transmission reduction measure.

On a personal note prior March last year I had been actively trying to source more British products and reduce my meat consumption, but with the food shortages caused by panic buying I ended up just buying whatever I could get my hands on. Admittedly this was short lived but I’ve only just got back into this habit in the last few months.

 

[brad465]

It's only taken over a year, but the BBC finally have a video that recognises environmental concerns around lateral flow tests:

Can you recycle Covid lateral flow tests?

Scientists say more could have been done to make lateral flow tests widely recyclable.

www.bbc.co.uk

Researchers estimate the UK's lateral flow testing programme has produced enough plastic waste to fill 200,000 bathtubs or 19 Olympic swimming pools.

Scientists at the Energy and Environment Institute at the University of Hull argue once we learned that Covid-19 spread more through the air than via surfaces, the UK government should have started recycling tests to avoid unnecessary plastic pollution.

The government says it's already made changes to make the tests more sustainable. But should we have been recycling our lateral flow test kits?

BBC Health reporter Laura Foster, who collected the waste from all her lateral flow tests, explains the situation in two minutes.

 

[102 fan]

In 2019 plastic was the Antichrist, then comes along Covid and suddenly plastic was our saviour, acres of it was put up in shops and businesses, it was used in masks and tests. Will that now be conveniently forgotten and plastic will now return as environmental enemy No.1?

 

[Bantamzen]

In 2019 plastic was the Antichrist, then comes along Covid and suddenly plastic was our saviour, acres of it was put up in shops and businesses, it was used in masks and tests. Will that now be conveniently forgotten and plastic will now return as environmental enemy No.1?

It has always been forgotten. Not at any point during the height of the pandemic was ever a mention made of the impact of making & disposing of billions, maybe trillions of masks & tests, goodness knows how many trillions of gallons of sanitisers, billions upon trillions of plastic screens, tape, stickers, laminated signs, barriers et al. And all this is before we consider the impact of scaring people, many permanently off public transport.

 

[yorkie]

I've done zero tests; I've very rarely worn a disposable mask (when I've felt forced into wearing a mask, it's almost always been a highly breathable cloth mask), and have not carried out any voluntary measures that involved producing unnecessary waste.

Those who called for and/or implemented and/or supported, such measures should accept they were wrong to do so and apologise.

 

[DerekC]

I've done zero tests; I've very rarely worn a disposable mask (when I've felt forced into wearing a mask, it's almost always been a highly breathable cloth mask), and have not carried out any voluntary measures that involved producing unnecessary waste.

Those who called for and/or implemented and/or supported, such measures should accept they were wrong to do so and apologise.

What, exactly are you asking for? I took tests when asked to and wore a mask so that I could support Mrs C in going to see her father who was approaching end of life in a care home. Do you want me to apologise for that? Or do you want the care home to apologise for applying the rules, even though the consequences of Covid getting in were pretty clear? For me the one who should apologise is Matt Hancock for not recognising the risks associated with care homes earlier.

 

[yorkie]

What, exactly are you asking for? I took tests when asked to and wore a mask so that I could support Mrs C in going to see her father who was approaching end of life in a care home. Do you want me to apologise for that? Or do you want the care home to apologise, even though the consequences of Covid getting in were pretty clear? For me the one who should apologise is Matt Hancock for not recognising the risks associated with care homes earlier.

If you were effectively forced against your will to take tests, then the people who were complicit in forcing you to do that should apologise.

 

[DerekC]

If you were effectively forced against your will to take tests, then the people who were complicit in forcing you to do that should apologise.

I had to take tests otherwise I wouldn't have been allowed in. However although unpleasant it wasn't against my will because I could see the logic of the situation. Coming back to the subject of the OP, it would have been better if the test kits could have been made reusable (at least the hard plastic bits) but I find that hard to criticise in the circumstances. Where I thought the rules were OTT was in insisting that disposable aprons and gloves had to be worn. The home did supply reusable visors - much better than masks for lipreading, although probably pretty ineffective.

 

[Cdd89]

I’m currently in Mexico, and every block has several disposable masks decaying in the gutter. It’s good that the UK is improving in this regard.

 

[Cloud Strife]

Those who called for and/or implemented and/or supported, such measures should accept they were wrong to do so and apologise.

I won't apologise to anyone, especially not fanatics. I took plenty of tests, I happily wore and continue to wear a mask when required, and I'm not going to feel guilty for it.

And I don't feel as if it was against my will. What was against my will was anti-mask fanatics invading my personal space.

 

[yorkie]

I won't apologise to anyone...

No, someone like you is unlikely to apologise for the harms to the environment; your response is in line with expectations.

especially not fanatics.

Most people just want to go back to living normal lives.

If anyone is a 'fanatic' it is those who want us to endure restrictions / testing / masking indefinitely and who erroneously think the virus can be suppressed.

I took plenty of tests

Yes, of course, I would expect so. I am proud to say I took none and am not responsible for any of the waste/harms produced by them.

I happily wore and continue to wear a mask when required, and I'm not going to feel guilty for it.

I wouldn't expect someone like you to feel guilty for the environmental waste caused.

And I don't feel as if it was against my will.

Of course not; you support such measures!

What was against my will was anti-mask fanatics invading my personal space.

What a strange comment.

Most people do not wear masks; people like you are (thankfully) very much in the minority now.

What personal space do you think you are entitled to and what's that got to do with masks or environmental waste anyway?

 

[Eyersey468]

I won't apologise to anyone, especially not fanatics. I took plenty of tests, I happily wore and continue to wear a mask when required, and I'm not going to feel guilty for it.

And I don't feel as if it was against my will. What was against my will was anti-mask fanatics invading my personal space.

It is against my will to be forced into wearing masks by the mask fanatics especially given the passive aggressive way they have been rammed down our throat for the last 2 years. If you want to wear a mask for the rest of time feel free but I shall not be doing so. I have done 2 tests over the last 2 years, the first was about 2 years ago and the second was earlier this year, but that was only because my stepdaughter tested positive.

 

[Freightmaster]

Most people just want to go back to living normal lives.

If anyone is a 'fanatic' it is those who want us to endure restrictions / testing / masking indefinitely and who erroneously think the virus can be suppressed.

This x1000!


To class people who want everything to go back to '2019 normal' ASAP as fanatics is unconscionable.





MARK

 

[Cloud Strife]

It is against my will to be forced into wearing masks by the mask fanatics especially given the passive aggressive way they have been rammed down our throat for the last 2 years. If you want to wear a mask for the rest of time feel free but I shall not be doing so. I have done 2 tests over the last 2 years, the first was about 2 years ago and the second was earlier this year, but that was only because my stepdaughter tested positive.

There are many things that you are forced to do against your will. Why are masks somehow much worse than the multitude of other unpleasant things that we have to do?

No, someone like you is unlikely to apologise for the harms to the environment; your response is in line with expectations.

What harm?

Most people just want to go back to living normal lives.

If anyone is a 'fanatic' it is those who want us to endure restrictions / testing / masking indefinitely and who erroneously think the virus can be suppressed.

They're equally fanatics, I agree. I also want us to go back to living normal lives, because everyone has now had the chance to be vaccinated three times. If someone didn't bother to get the jabs, then it's their own choice. I'm not going to cry over them, though I usually pity their families.

Yes, of course, I would expect so. I am proud to say I took none and am not responsible for any of the waste/harms produced by them.

Proud? I work with some people who were vulnerable, including one person who was hit very badly with Covid at the beginning. I certainly wouldn't be proud of not testing and continuing to work next to them while knowing that I could be positive and infecting them. If you sat at home for two years, then of course, why bother testing.

What personal space do you think you are entitled to and what's that got to do with masks or environmental waste anyway?

I don't like people standing over me or too close to me, especially when the pandemic was raging and we didn't have vaccines. Not wearing a mask and standing over someone was about as disrespectful as it got, and I told plenty of people to back off.

 

[kristiang85]

There are many things that you are forced to do against your will. Why are masks somehow much worse than the multitude of other unpleasant things that we have to do?

What other unpleasant things do we have to do? Having your breathing restricted, having everybody's facial expressions covered up, and contributing to environmental waste (among many other drawbacks) all for no tangible benefit is worse than any other compulsory contribution to society I can think of.

What harm?

University researchers are urging the government to prevent an "environmental disaster" caused by face mask litter.
A study from the University of Portsmouth found mask litter increased by 9,000% in the first seven months of the pandemic and could have led to further spread of the virus.
During their study, researchers discovered two million littered masks were collected across 11 counties.

University of Portsmouth study finds 9,000% increase in face mask litter

University researchers urge government to enforce legislation to prevent PPE littering following study.

www.bbc.co.uk

Just one of many many articles on this subject.

Proud? I work with some people who were vulnerable, including one person who was hit very badly with Covid at the beginning. I certainly wouldn't be proud of not testing and continuing to work next to them while knowing that I could be positive and infecting them. If you sat at home for two years, then of course, why bother testing.

But did you test for other coronaviruses, influenzas, rhinoviruses and other other potential infection before meeting these people before 2020? If not, then why is coronavirus any different, now the majorty have immunity from pre infection or vaccincation (or both), and the virus is evolving to be far less serious than the inital infection?

I don't like people standing over me or too close to me, especially when the pandemic was raging and we didn't have vaccines. Not wearing a mask and standing over someone was about as disrespectful as it got, and I told plenty of people to back off.

I am someone who likes my personal space too, even pre-COVID, but I generally find someone who puts on a mask to be near me more offensive, as it makes me feel like they think I'm 'dirty'. Not to mention what that does to people with anxiety. But we can agree to disagree on that and respect each other's differences.