Hey earth muffins! It is hard to believe that the pandemic has been going on for over a year now. With Mister Corona impacting everyone’s lives, we saw many changes to our world. Some good: less car traffic, more working from home, spending time with family in lockdown, getting the chance to evaluate what we want our lives to be. Others were not so good: increased takeout waste, single use masks and other pandemic gear, stores increasing the amount of single use plastics on their products. With these changes, it is hard not to think about how the eco movement will be impacted once the pandemic is over. Will COVID stop the sustainability movement?
Why The Eco Movement is Here to Stay
For many earth muffins, it has been difficult to be as eco-friendly during the pandemic. Bulk stores aren’t open or do not allow reusables. Grocery stores don’t allow reusable bags. There is an increase is plastics (and single-use plastic) in packaging for products and takeout. However, I do not think the pandemic will stop the sustainability movement.
Those who cared about the sustainability movement before will care after.
Firstly, people who were dedicated before the pandemic will go back to their eco ways after it. The pandemic is only a short term roadblock. I personally think that many of these people, myself included, will be more eco-friendly after. I will be more passionate after the pandemic because I realize how much I miss using my reusables! Even in terms of avoiding germs, it seems a lot better to be the only person to touch my reusable bag versus many people touching the plastic/paper bag during checkout. If you take a look at my list of top sustainability influencers, no one has stopped caring about the planet because of the pandemic!
New folks will be joining the cause!
I am also hopeful that our time in lockdown has introduced new people to the eco movement. The increase in single use items (from utensils to masks) has made it obvious that we are trashing our planet. How often do you see a mask lying on the side of the road? In my walks around the city, I see quite a few. I am hoping other people take notice of the influx in single use items… And want to reduce their impact. Sounds like a new earth muffin to me!
In addition, many of us have been spending a lot of time in lockdown. With all this free time, many people are watching Netflix, reading, and spending time online. I am hopeful that people have stumbled upon an eco documentary or one of my favorite books on sustainability or articles about pollution online. Plus, when people are bored they often find things to get angry, annoyed, or opinionated about… Maybe the sustainability movement will be this new topic for some folks!
It helped identify the companies that actually care about the sustainability movement.
As I discussed in my post about greenwashing, many companies pretend to care about the planet. Once the pandemic hit, many brands quickly switched back to their old ways. While they might have done this in fear to stay afloat, it definitely shows that they don’t care enough about the planet to stick with their sustainable goals in a world crisis. This reduces the amount of greenwashing research you have to do when deciding if you want to support the company or not. It is important to support companies that still care about Mother Earth during the pandemic.
To summarize, I do not think the COVID pandemic will stop the progress we have made in the sustainability movement. There have definitely been challenges from single use masks to increased plastic on foods that don’t need it. But, those who cared about the sustainability movement will continue to care (even more so) once the pandemic has settled down. With extra time to discover and learn, we might have some new earth muffins too! Lastly, the pandemic has helped us identify which companies to support after; the eco movement isn’t going anywhere!
Love,
Jenna ♥
Wow, this is such an interesting topic. I never really thought about it, but you are so right! There is a huge increase in single use products…which is unfortunate, because real progress was being made on that front. But hopefully, the focus will return to sustainability in future. I have also noticed masks on the side of the road and I hate to see it!
I’m also seeing a lot of hope that things will keep getting better! Make sure to tell your representatives to support the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act!
Here in Pittsburgh, the food co-op that has a huge bulk department is allowing you to refill reused containers again, and many stores are allowing reusable bags again. I’ve also learned how to get out of the store without bags, and I think I’ll keep doing it that way post-pandemic because it’s less stressful than bagging at checkout!