Interest in ecology has clearly dropped, as can be seen from the Google Trends data:
Unfortunately, the pandemic diverted attention from concern for the environment of institutions, companies and people. There is a high risk that “in the world after COVID-19” the implementation of ecological solutions will encounter additional difficulties. At the same time “consumption” of plastic will increase significantly vs the previous period: •Waste recycling has been stopped in many places in the US due to concerns that it may contribute to the spread of the virus.
(source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-27/cities-wonder-whether-recycling-counts-as-essential-during-the-virus) • •Increased hospital work also means an avalanche increase in medical waste, including overalls, gloves and masks, which are particularly harmful to the environment.
(source: https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202003/11/WS5e681df5a31012821727df81.html) • •Starbucks has stopped serving coffee to their customers’ cups, and in the current situation, it seems doubtful that company would come back to this idea, as would thousands of other brands that wanted to address zero-waste in this way.
(source: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-51767092)
