Year 2020 will remain etched in the history for a virtual global war fought between humankind and a tiny virus. Economies have crashed, GDPs slowing down and man seems helpless against this invisible enemy. One third of world’s population is either under lock-down or quarantine, making humans powerless. Globally, health workers are working day and night to save precious human lives. At this time of pandemic, one material, which was facing tremendous criticism in past, has emerged as a global saviour, and this material is Plastics. During this crisis period, plastics are omnipresent material, be it food and pharma packaging, healthcare, transportation of goods and other essential commodities.
Since its inception, plastics have replaced many traditional materials in various application, but in recent past it has been in news for all wrong reasons. Various environment protection agencies have raised concerns on account of its end-of-life waste management, and more emphasis was on single use plastics (SUPs). There have been a lot of pressure from environmentalists and activist to ban single-use plastics. However, today during COVID-19 catastrophe, imagine any hospital without single use sterilized personal protective equipment? Plastics and elastomers are used for manufacturing of masks, gowns, gloves and suits, which keep healthcare professionals safe while they treat COVID-19 patients. These plastics are not only protecting the dedicated men and women on the front line but also the social care worker who are providing support to most vulnerable in the society. Face mask, which has become a necessity nowadays to step out from home, are made up of polypropylene non-woven fabric. All these personal protective equipment are single use plastics, which were facing public outrage for its disposal.
Apart from this various plastics are used in life saving medical devices such as pulse oxygen sensors, ventilators, blood mentoring equipment, syringes, blood and fluid bags and many other medical types of equipment. During COVID-19 outbreak, ventilators have become life saving devices, which are used to keep people alive if they struggle to breathe, these ventilators are again made up of plastics. Recently in Italy, where lot of people died due to COVID-19 outbreak, polymer scientists and engineers worked together to make polyamide based valves, which connect oxygen masks to respirators for corona virus patients. In addition, the kit used for COVID-19 testing also utilizes plastics in its making. In present circumstances, no hospital can be imagined without contribution of plastics through PPEs, sterile packaging, testing kits, medical devices and equipment. All this contribution towards life saving activities has raised a question that perhaps the role of plastics in our life has been overshadowed by much exaggerated anti-plastic drives.
The other front where plastic is contributing unceasingly is packaging. Amid this lock-down, when all the industries are closed, packaging industry is working round the clock to cater to food and pharma industry so that supplies of essential commodities remain uninterrupted. Plastic packaging has always been target of environmentalist for its disposal, but in present scenario it is difficult to envisage how without plastics commodities like milk, oil, grains and other staples would reach market. Apart from this soap, hand wash, sanitizers, which have become pressing priorities couldn’t reach to remote locations. This pandemic has made packaging a core sector which is working as a bridge between commodities and consumers.
Last, I would sum up by saying that during this pandemic there will be a paradigm shift the way plastics are perceived globally and it will emerge as life saving rescuer rather than a polluting entity on earth.
