And more than 25,000 tons of that ends up in the already polluted ocean, where it is a major contributor to an already unmanageable global plastic problem.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a high demand for single-use plastic products. Think of mouth caps, plastic gloves and face shields. This has led to an immense waste heap, researchers show. And unfortunately a large part of it also ends up in the already polluted ocean, with all the consequences that entails.

Pandemic

Many scientists already suspected that the pandemic has generated quite a bit of plastic waste. But how much? In a new study researchers decided to calculate its full size. The research team set to work using a newly developed numerical model.

The numbers

The numbers don’t lie. Because the researchers discover that more than 8 million tons of pandemic plastic waste has been generated worldwide. The worrying thing, however, is that a large part of it ends up in the ocean. For example, the findings show that more than 25,000 tons of plastic are making their way into already polluted oceans. Within three to four years, a significant portion of this is expected to wash up on beaches or sink to the seabed. A smaller portion will end up in the open ocean and accumulate in the Arctic Ocean.

Arctic landfill
Thanks to consistent ocean circulation patterns, researchers have a good idea of ​​how plastic waste moves through the seas. The new model shows that 80 percent of the plastic waste that ends up in the Arctic Ocean will accumulate here and sink to the bottom. It means that in these waters there will be a kind of plastic dump. And that while the Arctic ecosystem is already considered particularly vulnerable. The potential ecological effects of exposure to accumulated plastics add another concern, the researchers said.

The big question is where exactly in the world is it going wrong. The researchers collected data from the start of the pandemic in 2020 through August 2021. And the findings show that most of the global plastic waste entering the ocean comes from Asia. Hospital waste represents the bulk of land discharge.

Asian hospitals

“When we started calculating, we were surprised to find that the amount of medical waste was significantly greater than other waste,” said researcher Amina Schartup. “A lot of it comes from Asian countries, even though they don’t have the majority of COVID-19 cases. The waste mainly comes from hospitals located in areas that were already struggling with their waste management before the pandemic. They just aren’t set up for more waste.”

Rivers

In their study, the researchers zoomed in on the most polluted rivers and catchments. Because, according to the team, most of the global plastic waste generated by the pandemic ends up in the ocean via rivers. Asian rivers appear to account for 73 percent of total plastic discharges, with the top three being the Shatt al-Arab, Indus and Yangtze rivers that flow into the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea and East China Sea. European rivers are responsible for 11 percent of the discharge.

Better management

The study highlights the need for better medical waste management in developing countries. In order to prevent the influx of plastic waste into the oceans, the researchers therefore urge these countries to help. In addition, they want to increase public awareness of the environmental impact of personal protective equipment. The development of more environmentally friendly materials would already help to improve the dire situation.

The team says it is now time to act. “COVID-related plastic is only part of a much bigger problem we face in the 21st century: plastic waste,” said researcher Yanxu Zhang. “Resolving this will require technical innovation, economic transition and lifestyle change.”