# How this Pandemic is Reshaping the Recycling Industry

- Link: https://greenlivingguy.com/2020/08/how-this-pandemic-is-reshaping-the-recycling-industry/
- Published: 2020-08-10T00:54:39-04:00
- Author: greenlivingguy

The current world pandemic will not leave anytime soon and nothing will be the same
as it was before. We must learn to live with this virus, at least until a vaccine
is developed and approved. But until then, many countries have imposed lockdown 
measures to stop its spread. People were allowed to go out of their homes only for
short walks or shopping, which increased the number of online orders.

Not being able to go out of your house means that you need to find other ways to
satisfy your needs. Delivery companies were among the fewest positively affected
by this coronavirus. But while many people see this as a nice and comfortable thing,
it has negative effects on the environment. 

Yes, the [greenhouse gas emissions](https://greenlivingguy.com/2020/03/fast-facts-about-greenhouse-gas-emissions/)
have dropped during lockdown months. Nature seemed to come back to life in places
where it was long gone. And all this because people were no longer there. 

But now, when countries begin to ease the lockdown measures, we see that this pandemic
has begun to reshape the recycling industry. It reshaped our lives, [green lifestyles](https://greenlivingguy.com/2020/07/5-step-guide-to-the-ultimate-eco-friendly-living/),
and working habits. 

#### There Is More Trash

As people were forced to spend some months locked in their houses, the amount of
trash they produced has increased. According to an expert [essay writer](https://www.bestessays.com.au/),
it has been observed an increase in specific types of trash people produce. 

Taking into consideration that people mostly ordered food, groceries, devices, and
so on online, they came packaged separately. And while some manufacturers deliver
their products in [sustainable and eco-friendly packages](https://greenlivingguy.com/2019/09/sustainable-packaging-options/),
most of them do not. So, “delivery trash” has increased drastically. 

Also, people consumed more. They ate more, they drank more, and so the plastic and
glass trash increased considerably. The amount of trash that comes from households
[increased by 20% during lockdown months. ](https://environmentjournal.online/articles/household-recycling-increased-by-20-during-lockdown/)

There is a bad and good part of this. If there is more trash, it means people consume
and buy more. And so, the demand for [single-use plastics](https://greenlivingguy.com/2019/02/new-eu-rules-on-single-use-plastics-to-help-reduce-european-pollution/),
plastic bottles, cardboard boxes, and so on is increasing. This does not do any 
good to our environment, as we need to constantly try to reduce our plastic consumption.
Do not forget that plastic pollution is negatively contributing to [climate change](https://greenlivingguy.com/2020/04/climate-change-the-time-for-action-is-now/)
and it affects the wildlife and us in the same way. We are less healthy. 

![](https://i0.wp.com/greenlivingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/img_1919.jpg?
resize=736%2C460&quality=52&ssl=1)

The good part mostly concerns businesses that base their products on recycled items,
such as factories that produce toilet paper, have more materials to recycle and 
reuse. 

#### But Less Recyclable Items 

The coronavirus pandemic took a toll on our societies. Many people lost their jobs
and many businesses went bankrupt. Those businesses that are no longer operating
were important providers of recyclable materials for other factories that needed
them. 

For example, take into consideration restaurants, bars, movie theatres, and so on.
People were drinking beverages there, and they were collecting the waste. Not many
people know, but there are a lot of businesses that selectively collected their 
waste and then chose to recycle it, to save the environment. 

And many more businesses depend on recycling to function, and now everything is 
brought to a halt. The amount of recyclable plastics, glass, and paper has reduced
drastically during and after lockdown. And businesses which based solely on commercial
sources of [recyclables](https://greenlivingguy.com/2020/05/how-we-can-be-smarter-about-recycling-to-support-more-than-500k-jobs-equals-105-us-billion-industry/)
were forced to close. 

#### Shifting to Household Waste 

So, the only solution is to shift to collecting household waste, as this is one 
of the main sources of recyclables at the moment. But at the same time, the recycling
industry should prepare to launch new and innovative campaigns aimed to [reduce plastic pollution](https://greenlivingguy.com/2017/11/underwater-technology-that-can-help-reduce-plastic-pollution/)
and educate people. 

Face masks and gloves are indispensable items that prevent the spread of the virus.
They need to be changed constantly, and because people do not know what to do with
them, [they end up in nature, trees, flowers, rivers, and oceans. ](https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02938-1)

Even though face masks cannot be recycled, as they need to be treated as a waste
to stop the possible spread of bacteria and viruses, people should be educated on
what to do with them. They are regularly left in spaces where people are living.
And worst of them, they seem to be just like plastic bottles: everywhere. You can
find them in nature and the most secluded places where you thought no one was. 

The recycling industry should make some changes, both in their public campaigns 
and collecting recyclable materials. 

#### But Are All These Good or Bad Changes?

Well, they are good in the short-term. But this is only because many businesses 
that were waste and recyclables providers shut down. At the same time, it increased
the personal use of plastics, and people lack the education and information necessary
to know how to dispose of specific items. 

And so, they end up on our landfills and our surroundings, threatening to suffocate
people and wildlife. Even though during lockdown nature began to regain its rights,
as measures are eased by governments, the greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, and
fossil fuel consumption begin to rise again. 

#### Conclusion 

The recycling industry goes through a difficult period where they need to rethink
and adapt their strategy. Many businesses closed, and so others from the recycling
industry that depended on them were forced to shut down. Now they need to shift 
to household waste management, as it increased during the lockdown. 

At the same time, the problems [with the huge amount of plastic in our oceans](https://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/health/case_studies/plastics.html \l :~:text=Of the most devastating elements,food chain%2C threatening human health.)
and nature were not solved. The recycling industry should change their approach 
and design campaigns aimed to increase public awareness about climate and recycling
issues. 

The development of the recycling industry during the world pandemic has been slow.
And if it was one of the industries which were struggling before the pandemic too,
now it is struggling more to survive. 

![](https://i0.wp.com/greenlivingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/img_1920.jpg?
resize=204%2C198&quality=52&ssl=1)

Author Bio: Leon Collier is a blogger and writer from the UK, who loves to offer
[assignment help](https://www.brillassignment.co.uk/) at a [custom essay service](https://www.essayontime.com/services/essay.html).
He likes writing about everything: climate change, history, travel, self-development,
education, recycling. When not writing, you can find him reading or playing tabletop
games with his friends. Follow him on Twitter [@LeonCollier12](https://twitter.com/LeonCollier12)

Photo by [Alfonso Navarro](https://unsplash.com/@poncho_nj?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText)
on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/s/photos/recycle?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText)