Due to the Covid-19 lockdowns and confinement, a worldwide shift in consumer habits has led to a massive increase in the amount of plastic and food waste produced, confirms an Open University (OU) Scientific Study. The study, which is coordinated by German University of Hamburg (HAW) Research Centre on Sustainability and Climate, and includes scientists from 23 other countries, including Portugal’s Professor Célia Dias Ferreira, believe that due to the immense pressure placed on municipal waste management systems, it is necessary to find new waste control strategies. Current figures show an increase of 43% of plastic packaging and 53% of food waste entering municipal incinerators and landfill sites.
So despite all recent global efforts to control the amount of plastics entering landfill or incinerators, Covid-19, as it has to life as we knew it, brought it all to a grinding standstill.
One idea that has been bandied about on YouTube recently is the dumping of waste into active volcanoes! Below is an interesting video on what would happen if we decided to look at volcanoes as a global response to our rubbish problems.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
