In our article series, we zoom in on some specific areas and industries in the world that will emerge after the COVID-19 pandemic. This third instalment is based on an analysis by Futures Platform, with insight from the founder and chairman of energy company St1 and climate change advocate Mika Anttonen and Futures Platform’s Senior Foresight Analyst Max Stucki.

The impacts of COVID-19 on the environment are likely to be temporary, but they give a historic opportunity to obtain new knowledge and renew our perspectives for handling the climate crisis.

Microplastics, very small plastic fragments, less than 5 millimetres in length, can be found in several places. And there’s a lot of it. A 2015 study showed that there are between 93 and 236 metric tons of microplastics in the world’s oceans. They have also been found in freshwater ecosystems, in the soil, and even in the air. Even more worrying, they have been found inside a lot of animal species.

Plastic. It has become so common place, most of us cannot imagine day to day life without it. Since its invention in 1907, it has become one of the most essential materials for mankind. However, it has not come without its downsides. The main and most pressing for humanity being the immense amount of waste.