The coronavirus pandemic has brought with it copious amounts of plastic waste. Staying safe has meant using gloves, masks, anti-bacterial bottles and single-use shoppers, now all piling up in the rubbish.
While such safety measures are absolutely necessary, they challenge efforts made by environmental campaigners to reduce and raise awareness to plastic pollution – 12.7 million tonnes of which winds up in our oceans each year.
Usually, bringing a tote bag or other reusable shopper when you go shopping is the best choice to save on plastic waste. Especially as scientific evidence shows that single-use plastic shopping bags are devastating for marine life (they are consistently among the top 10 items collected by the Ocean Conservancy’s annual International Coastal Cleanup).
However, since the coronavirus outbreak, you may have stopped using yours. In fact, they have temporarily been banned in many places around America, although, as of yet, there are no rules surrounding their use in the UK.
Is it safe to use a tote bag or reusable shopper?
We spoke to Dr Darshna Yagnik, an immunologist from Middlesex University:
“Regardless of the material the reusable bag is made from, it could carry the virus into your home. You can wipe down reusable bags with alcohol wipes or sanitiser or wash them at 60°, but that needs to be done after each shop. I wouldn’t recommend storing reusable bags in the house either, leave them in the car or porch after disinfecting."
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