Thank You, Coronavirus Helpers for Caring about the Planet

Since April, Google has periodically shown a doodle thanking the frontline workers who put their lives at risk due to the Coronavirus. These frontline workers show up to work everyday to provide medical attention, deliver goods and give other necessary support.  

As coronavirus case numbers continue to climb, it’s important (and often mandatory) to wear a mask in public. We partnered with Bumble to create masks that you could wear for any occasion.  Prevent waste with our sustainable, reusable fabric masks.We're partnering with Bumble to help you make kinder, more meaningful connections. Download Bumble now and remember to #BuyLessLoveMore.

We also wanted to give a shout out to the workers helping make our world more sustainable during this difficult time. We thank the  coronavirus helpers you might not know about. These unsung heroes work to reduce, reuse, recycle, bicycle and more. 

Food waste helpers

Food growers have faced huge disruptions within the food system due to the pandemic because demand shifted from public places like schools, restaurants, stadiums, and theme parks to grocery stores. Farmers had to till their crops back into the soil. Approximately $1.32 billion in produce could go to waste. 

But this creates a major environmental dilemma. Food waste causes 8 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to climate change when it decomposes. At the same time, food banks have been flooded with more people than ever coming for meals. Several organizations have stepped up to help solve this issue. 

The Farmlink Project accepts donations to buy unused produce from farmers and pay delivery drivers to send it to food banks in different parts of the country. The Community Alliance with Family Farmers based in California helped farmers sell their produce directly to consumers. City Harvest fights hunger in New York by rescuing and distributing donated food from suppliers. Divert helps donate produce and recycle inedible organic food mater waste into renewable energy. 

Bicycle repair shops

Coronavirus caused many people to fear the spread of the contagious virus on public transportation. A huge number of people shifted to riding their bikes instead. The bike business is booming with some stores seeing long lines of customers and increases in the triple digits in sales. 

That’s why in New York, bike repair shops were seen as “essential” businesses. Not only do they help keep people on bikes for leisure, they help riders commute affordably to work and reduce carbon emissions. They’re helping first time riders learn how to maintain their bikes and helping ride share programs like Citi Bike in New York City service their shared cycling equipment.    

Sustainable to-go food packaging helpers

2019 was a major year for single-use plastic bans, but the Coronavirus pandemic reversed some of that progress.Restaurants have had to shift to a to-go delivery model just to stay open and this created a surge in disposable food packaging. 

At first, plastics manufacturers claimed that reusables were dangerous, because they could lead to the spread of the virus. But this was before scientists fully understood how the virus spreads. Now we know that reusables are safe, and the virus is mostly an airborne disease, which has led various companies to try to offer restaurants and customers refillable container solutions. 

Dispatch goods is a startup in San Francisco collaborating with restaurants to offer delivered meals in stainless steel containers with silicon lids that can easily be retrieved and washed for reuse. Two other companies, Gobox and Wisebox have tried something similar, but they use durable plastic containers, instead.  

National Park Rangers

Finally, we give a big shout out to the National Park Rangers who have been maintaining parks during this time of unprecedented visitor numbers. People who cannot go on vacation this year turned to the National Parks, which have mostly stayed open. The influx has led to theme park levels of litter and crowds. The National Park Rangers have been working hard to keep the frenzy safe and clean. 

Shop Goodfair to get your Bumble x Goodfair face mask free with any purchase made from November 15-22 (while supplies last).