Earth Day turned 50 this past week, and it looked a little different this year.
With global shutdowns in place, the Earth had a moment to breath and enjoy better air quality in major cities around the globe. NYC reported a 50% reduction in CO2 between March 15 and March 22 while air quality over Southern California improved by 20% and Madrid saw NO2 levels fall by 56% in March.
With warm weather and clean air, some shoppers began seizing this opportunity to grow their own vegetables in “victory gardens.”
But the shut down is driving many more shoppers to eCommerce and pick-up solutions, which inherently means more cardboard, bags, and disposable goods are in demand.
Will these new habits unravel all the progress made in recent years regarding the reduction of plastic bags, straws and other single use items at retail? As this pandemic progresses, shoppers may choose to lapse back to old habits while others may change it up and maintain their delivery lifestyle. Only time can tell. But for now, Mother Earth is enjoying a bit of fresh air.
Contributed By: Kira Walstrom, Insight & Strategy, Integer Denver
Image Source: Unsplash
