As of April 28, 2020, Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt (ABC News, 2020) reported that Australia is in fact successfully containing and overcoming this coronavirus outbreak, hence, successfully flattening the coronavirus curve.
Australia’s Department of Health (April 27, 2020) has also mentioned in its daily coronavirus report that a total of 5,586 cases has recovered, leaving only 43 currently still in ICU and 113 currently hospitalized. This is in fact a huge relief for Australians to know that things might be back to normal sooner than expected.
source: www.health.gov.au
Although, it is still important to note that this does not mean that the virus is completely erased and it is still essential for us to take precautions to remain safe and well from the effects of COVID-19. Coronavirus experts doubts that COVID-19 has reached its peak and Australian authorities are in fact bracing for a rise in the number of new cases in the coming weeks due to hundreds of Australians returning from overseas.
Further, Jane Dalton (2020) from Independent News, UK, reported that
“scientists expect future pandemics might be likely to occur more frequent, spread more rapidly, kill more people and inflict worse economic damage if humanity fails to fundamentally change how it is damaging the environment and exploiting wildlife”.
How our cause comes into the picture
We are all aware of the part plastics play amid this pandemic. We all know that viral bacteria’s like COVID-19 can survive on plastic surfaces the longest compared to the rest of the surfaces like cardboards and stainless steel. And since Australia imports plastics from several countries across the globe, there is a high possibility that the plastics we end up using carries the COVID-19 virus with it. If it is true that in the future more pandemics will occur with virus more aggressive than the COVID-19, this might mean that the viruses might survive even longer on plastic surfaces.
This begs the question:
When is authorities going to seriously address this issue and curb all recycled plastic imports and deal with the bigger crisis about our landfills?
No one can guarantee for sure that another pandemic will not occur in the future (God forbid) and its of utmost importance to stop plastic imports from overseas to minimize the risk of bringing future viruses back into our homes.
Authorities should be aware and take into account that they have to deal with this recycling crisis and ensure our safety by establishing more Recycling facilities, Curbing recycled plastic imports, Reusing the plastic wastes in our landfills and Use locally produced plastic packaging for fresh produce fruits and vegetables.
source: www.quotefancy.com
How you can help us solve this recycling crisis:
- Raise awareness by signing our petition and spread the word!
- Ask supermarkets about the plastic packaging they use for their fresh produce and plastic goods. Do not be afraid to voice your concern and Let your voice be heard!
- Purchase and ask for goods manufactured within Australia using Australian waste recycled plastic. This will help both the well-being and the economy of our country.
It is our responsibility as Australians to not turn a blind eye on our current recycling crisis and save our Home for the future generations to come.
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