Abstract
One of the many terrible ironies of the COVID-19 pandemic is the vast increase in plastic waste that it has triggered. Anxiety about vectors of transmission of the coronavirus led almost immediately to bans on reusable containers and shopping bags in favor of plastic items. Personal protective equipment (PPE) frequently consists of single-use gloves, gowns, and masks that are made from plastics, briefly employed, and immediately sent to the trash. From take-out containers and water bottles to body bags, plastic goods have proliferated thanks to the pandemic. As photographers around the world have documented, the resulting waste has rapidly accumulated