COVID-19 contributing to Thailand’s plastic pollution problem

While the world’s main focus is on battling the COVID 19 disease pandemic caused by the SARS CoV-2 coronavirus, Thailand is dealing with another effect of the coronavirus: mountains of trash, plastic and used masks, all examples of the impact that the pandemic has had on the environment.

Over 1.5 to 2 million masks are used daily in Thailand, and many of them are discarded as regular trash or simply dumped on the streets.

Thailand generates over 2 million tons of plastic waste each year, of which less than half is recycled.

Concerns are now growing over the dramatic increase in plastic waste shown since the start of the pandemic.

World Environment Day, a United Nations (UN) campaign to raise awareness about the protection of the environment, is celebrated every year on 05 June.

Via EPA-EFE/DIEGO AZUBEL