As the outbreak came, states issued orders to stop using reusable bags and single-use disposable cutlery, plates, straws, and the major item Masks.
Most masks and single-use items are plastic or none biodegradable making their way to the ground most of the time than in the sewer or in the landfill but either way, it’s going to the number of single-use plastics due to this has increased exponentially.
In an email to Andy Collins, the Education Coordinator of the
Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hawai’i
Mokupāpapa Discovery Center to see if any new information has been collected in response to this COVID-19 crisis. “ One of the additional "victims" of the COVID crisis has been researched, with much of the research fleet in port. I do not know of any studies that might help with your inquiry.”
Andy also forwarded the email to Mark Manuel, the
Pacific Islands Marine Debris Regional Coordinator (Freestone Environmental contract) NOS/Office of Response and Restoration Marine Debris Program
“As you know, the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" is very remote and challenging to conduct research in, so the amount of peer-reviewed studies has been limited. The most recent publications were conducted by Egger et. al. 2020and Lebreton et. al 2018 and published in Nature Scientific Reports.“
