Your reusable mugs and cups are COVID-safe
Reusable bags, containers and cutlery do not pose any higher risk of virus transmission than disposable items, according to a new study. Photo by Photo by Taylor Beach / Unsplash
By Marc Fawcett-Atkinson
Canadians can safely use their own coffee mugs, canvas bags, bubble tea cups and other reusable containers despite the pandemic, a new study has found. The findings come as environmentalists report the proportion of single-use plastic food and beverage containers littering Canada's beaches has roughly doubled since the pandemic started. The COVID-19 crisis reversed a growing trend in Canada away from single-use plastics due to their environmental impact, the study found. Canadians can safely use their own coffee mugs, canvas bags, bubble tea cups and other reusable containers despite the pandemic, a new study has found.
Public health restrictions and uncertainty about whether personal coffee mugs and containers could transmit COVID-19 led hundreds of restaurants, coffee shops, and other businesses to prohibit them when the pandemic hit last year. Despite the knowledge the disease is transmitted through airborne droplets, however, many have not changed their rules since.
“The science shows that reusable items such as reusable bags, containers, and cutlery do not pose any higher risk of virus transmission in retail settings than disposable items, as long as appropriate safety measures are in place,” said Pete Fry, chair of the product design and packaging working group at the National Zero Waste Council (NZWC).
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