In at least 30 states, local curbside recycling programs have been either suspended or drastically cut back, and drop-off sites and glass and aluminum container redemption centers have been temporarily closed. Problems related to the coronavirus have slowed momentum for the support of using reusable alternatives instead of single-use plastic. When communities are facing shortfalls in tax revenue as a by-product of mitigating the effects of the virus, these suspensions and cutbacks are inevitable — for several reasons. First and foremost, it’s a fact that current recycling methods are still not profit centers. Secondly, there are valid safety concerns in COVID-19 times, where workers in recycling centers must handle bottles, food containers, and other items used by other people. While there is uncertainty around how long a virus might live on plastic, cardboard, and other surfaces, I think it’s safe to say that any and all concern is warranted in uncertain times characterized by a virus about which we truly have little to no concrete information. But there is change afoot.
For instance, the plastic bag industry, after facing bans worldwide, is now using the pandemic to try and block the relatively new laws prohibiting the use of single-use plastic. The spokesperson for an industry group known as Bag The Ban says “We simply don’t want millions of Americans bringing germ-filled reusable bags into retail establishments putting the public and workers at risk.” The Plastics Industry Association recently sent a letter to the United States Department of Health and Human Services requesting that the department publicly declare that banning single-use plastics during a pandemic is a health threat. The trade groups are using the health and fiscal concerns associated with the pandemic to actively lobby to suspend single-use plastic bans, using op-ed posts and articles to possibly fuel the fears of lawmakers and consumers alike. “Based on my timeline of when that narrative started to take shape, it’s plausible that it is a coordinated PR machine,” Ivy Schlegel, a senior research specialist at Greenpeace told Fast Company.
The fact is, there is NO Evidence that reusable totes, cups, or containers contribute to the spread of the novel coronavirus any more, or any less, than a single-use plastic bag, cup, or container. Arguably, consumers walk into stores wearing clothing, coats, hats, and shoes that could just as easily carry or transmit a virus as a reusable tote and we’re not hearing similar concerns from the plastic bag industry about the “germ-filled” potential risk there.
How appropriate is it for the plastics industry to use these difficult times to market fear of reusables to both consumers and lawmakers? That’s not a judgment we’ll make here, but non-profits like Greenpeace and UPSTREAM are weighing in on the issue with the comparable safety of reusables when properly washed with soap and hot water, also countering that single-use plastics are subject to whatever pathogens have settled on them from manufacture, transport, inventory stocking, and eventual use — which is no different than the risk associated with reusable totes, cups, or containers.
When we come out on the other side of this pandemic, some things will have been changed forever by the experience. One thing that won’t change is the core value of working toward more sustainable sourcing for containers and bags. Much like carry-out and delivery has changed our restaurant experiences, UPSTREAM suggests that this crisis is also showing us that we will need better systems for Bring Your Own containers and bulk shopping. Hands-free dispensers and methods are part of the solution, as are on-site sanitizing option for when you BYO containers. Thinking further ahead, businesses could create new systems to provide clean, sanitized reusable containers for bulk purchasing with a deposit – like the local dairies that are bringing back the reusable milk bottle.
Have you thought about how these changes could mean more sales opportunities for you? The reusable bags and containers, the displays, and the signage on how to use all of them represent an opportunity to provide a new generation of branding and identity products. The time to get moving on that is now.
Jeff Jacobs has been an expert in building brands and brand stewardship for 40 years, working in commercial television, Hollywood film and home video, publishing, and promotional brand merchandise. He’s a staunch advocate of consumer product safety and has a deep passion and belief regarding the issues surrounding compliance and corporate social responsibility. He retired as executive director of Quality Certification Alliance, the only non-profit dedicated to helping suppliers provide safe and compliant promotional products. Before that, he was director of brand merchandise for Michelin. Connect with Jeff on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, or read his latest musings on food, travel and social media on his personal blog jeffreypjacobs.com. Email jacobs.jeffreyp@gmail.com.