SECOND TAKE
LA TIMES: Return to single-use plastic should be temporary
Pandemic is no excuse for abandoning years of hard-won progress against pollutant
Among the many bad things to come out of the coronavirus pandemic is the resurgence of single-use plastic. In early March, weeks before California adopted the nation’s first stay-at-home orders and when toilet paper could still be found in abundance on store shelves, Starbucks stopped accepting customer’s refillable cups for fear that they might expose baristas to infection. Dunkin’ Donuts followed suit.
Then grocery stores told people to keep their potentially germy reusable bags to themselves and began foisting new plastic and paper bags on shoppers. San Francisco, home of the state’s first plastic bag ban, was one of six Bay Area counties to forbid shoppers (https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Six-Bay-Area-counties-ban-use-of-reusable-bags-at-15182959.php) from bringing reusable bags into stores...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.