Materials News
The PLASTICS organisation highlights the hygienic benefit of singleuse plastics for grocery and take away food outlets
single-use plastics”. It said that in recent years, there has been a push to eliminate single-use products at the local, state and federal level. During that time, the plastics industry has been working to educate the general public and elected officials that single-use plastic products are the most sanitary choice when it comes to many applications, especially in the consumption and transport of food, whether purchased at a restaurant or at a grocery store. Now more than ever, it says, consumers are seeing the impacts of those local and state laws restricting the use of single-use products. It underscores a few study findings that reusable bags “can carry viruses and bacteria, spread them throughout a grocery store, and live on surfaces for up to three days." That being said, Radoszewski has appealed to the department to “speak out against bans on these products as a public safety risk and help stop the rush to ban these products by environmentalists and elected officials that puts consumers and workers at risk”. Plastic, an essential infrastructure in surviving Covid-19 During the course of the pandemic, demand for medical devices and personal protective equipment (PPE), all of which are either made out of or have significant components of plastics, has been record breaking. It is for this reason that plastic resin and plastic product manufacturers must be regarded as essential, according to Radoszewski. He said that access to plastic products is critical, especially for healthcare workers. Single-use plastic products, such as IV bags and ventilator machines, as well as hospital gowns, gloves, and masks, are essential during this time. Additionally, plastics are also essential in keeping food and drinks fresh, reducing contamination and waste. And this is true now that people have to stock up on food during a long home quarantine period. “Single-use plastic bags provide a sanitary and convenient way to carry our groceries home while protecting supermarket employees and customers from whatever is lurking on reusable bags,” Radoszewski also argued.