Are Life-Cycle Assessments Worth the (Recycled) Paper They’re Printed On?
This post originally appeared at Ensia. Single-use items—which have long been the target of ire from environmentalists—are having a moment in the era of Covid-19. From disposable cups and take-out packaging to gloves and masks, safety concerns are pushing consumers and institutions in the direction of disposables. Balancing the sustainability of these items with the benefits they seem to offer society, which range from convenience to sterility, has never been easy, and is even more difficult now. First, there’s the fact that they must be continually replenished: produced and shipped over and over again to meet unending consumers’ demand for…