The impact of COVID-19 to the amount of single use plastic: a case study in faculty of International Management and Business Budapest Business School

Luu Ha Linh and Nguyen Thi Phi Yen and Phan Thanh Anh Quoc and Forgó Réka (2022) The impact of COVID-19 to the amount of single use plastic: a case study in faculty of International Management and Business Budapest Business School. In: No Question: Sustainability is Everyone’s Business V. BBS International Sustainability Student Conference Proceedings. Budapesti Gazdasági Egyetem, Budapest, Magyarország, pp. 97-112. ISBN 978-615-6342-38-6

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.29180/9786156342386_7

Abstract

It is an indisputable fact that plastic plays a crucial role in modern society. It has transformed our daily lives as well as various industries sectors. Nevertheless, the overuse of single-use plastic has caused numerous problems to the global environment and human health due to the toxic substances contained. Given the major concern about this problem, it is critical to set out Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG12), ensuring Responsible Consumption and Production in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Recently, COVID -19 has provided ideal conditions for the rising use of plastic, exacerbating the situation. In this research, we conducted an in-depth case study in the Faculty of International Management and Business, Budapest Business School to investigate the amount of singleuse plastic by students before and during the pandemic. We collected the student's routine data on the usage and recycling of single-use plastic by asking them to fill in the survey with ten Likert- scale and multiple-choice questions. The result of this survey is quantitative evidence of the impact of COVID-19 on the amount of single-use plastic consumed. We found that COVID-19 has substantially increased the procurement and consumption of single-use plastic during the pandemic. Most of the excessive use comes from personal protective equipment such as masks, gloves, and the adjusting habit of home delivery of consumers. The impact of plastic pollution on the environment and human health under short and long-term circumstances is provided thoroughly, revealing major impediments and considering possible solutions to deal with it. Although the convenience of using plastics has dramatically contributed to enhancing our quality of life, it is essential to modify our behavior towards sustainable lifestyles, such as selecting bio-based packaging products. Budapest Business School should maintain sustainability as its priority mission, not only to reduce plastic pollution but to encourage sustainable growth and promote a green environment in the university. Raising students' awareness should also be exaggerated by promoting them to participate in conferences or workshops related to sustainability