Environment, shmirement! Eco-friendly people flocking back to single-use plastics during COVID

[Rhiannon12866]

NEW YORK — Eco-friendly individuals may love to “reuse and recycle,” but that apparently goes out the window during a pandemic. Almost seven in ten Americans say they’re buying more single-use items than they did last year in order to minimize their risk of COVID-19 exposure.

According to a survey of 2,000 people, 97 percent have access to refillable or reusable products. Despite this, the pandemic panic has 67 percent of them turning to single-use plastics instead. Overall, nearly a third (32%) say COVID-19 has had a major impact on their overall environmental practices. One in five (21%) say that their habits have “completely changed” during the crisis.

For example, 38 percent are consuming more plastic water bottles than they did at this time last year. This is despite 50 percent admitting they currently own a refillable container. Out of the 90 percent whose sustainability efforts have been affected, half feel that it’s ultimately been a negative impact.

Commissioned by Hydro Flask and conducted by OnePoll, the survey also finds that 40 percent report being more ecologically-minded now than they were in 2020.


Much more: https://www.studyfinds.org/eco-friendly-single-use-plastics-water-bottles-environment/

[progree]

1. HyVee still doesn't allow reusable bags. Cub Foods and Lunds & Byerlys does

Lunds & Byerlys (a Twin Cities + St. Cloud, MN grocery chain) used to have a sign that reusable bags not allowed, but that disappeared a few months ago.

[brewens]

2. I wouldn't like it if they banned plastic grocery bags here. Mine all get double use anyway and

save me from having to buy small trash bags. I us one every day cleaning the cat box. They are good enough to wrap up something to go in the freezer if I know I'll be using it fairly soon. A plate of food I don't finish can be wrapped up in one rather than dirtying a storage container to go in the fridge. They are a good enough liner for my small waste baskets. I imagine a lot of people just throw those away and waste money on trash and freezer bags.