Post by account_disabled on Feb 22, 2024 9:34:06 GMT
After the publication of the “COVID-19 Safe Table” Prevention Protocol, of the National Chamber of the Restaurant and Seasoned Foods Industry (Canirac), specialists question the effectiveness of the suggested measures. Among the prevention measures proposed by Canirac, the use of face masks, gloves, plastic wrap, disposable menus, among other single-use materials, stand out. According to specialists, the use of these materials in the new normal is a “false security”, because it is not certain that these materials are free of the virus. “The virus can remain for 3 to 5 days on plastic surfaces, it does not matter if the container in which the food is served is disposable or reusable, the virus can remain on the surface,” said Ornela Garelli, specialist in Responsible Consumption and Climate Change. from Greenpeace Mexico. Given the environmental impact due to the excessive disposal of waste from the COVID-19 pandemic, specialists suggest the use of sustainable alternatives such as reusable face masks and face shields, in addition to keeping in mind that the use of plastics to protect utensils such as plates and cutlery does not guarantee people's safety from the virus.
The current state leaves environmental problems in the background, according to Greenpeace, which warns that cleaning workers in public areas of Mexico City have detected an increase of 1,000 tons in plastic waste. “The protection of our health goes hand in hand with environmental protection, it is known that these plastic materials seriously affect our planet, mainly the oceans and marine species,” said Garelli. And the legislation? In recent months, progress has been made in some entities of the country, including Mexico City, with the ban on single-use plastic bags. In this sense, in January 2021, new measures are anticipated in the country's capital that will strengthen the ban on disposable materials. For Juan Carlos Carrillo Fuentes, lawyer in Bulgaria Mobile Number List Sustainability Policy at the Mexican Center for Environmental Law (Cemda), the legislation on the use of single-use plastics should not have any setback in the new normal, since in any case it would have to occur a legislative process to reform the law or one could speak of a violation of a principle of non-regression in matters of human rights, in particular the human right to a healthy environment.
However, Greenpeace has begun to disseminate that in a forum organized by the Senate of the Republic, the industry is already seeking legislative changes in this regard. Ornela Garelli pointed out that in the virtual event “The future of health without plastics”, held a few days ago, with the participation of the Senate, it was announced that plastics businessmen intend to go back on the progress that has been made regarding the laws that They prohibit single-use plastics, with the justification that the implementation of plastic materials in the restaurant industry is necessary to face the COVID-19 pandemic. In this framework, Greenpeace urged the Senate not to allow itself to be pressured by the industry and to legislate for the good of Mexico and the planet. As a result of this, the environmental organization expressed its concern through a letter addressed to Raúl Bolaños Cacho, president of the Senate Environmental Commission; Through his response, the Senate proposed a forum with the participation of civil society and environmentalists. “With the proposal of their partial civil forum, we responded that we are willing to talk with them about it, but that we want it to be an inclusive forum where all voices are present he said.