abstract
- The COVID-19 pandemic had a lasting effect on the world and destroyed life everywhere. The worldwide outbreak has increased the demand for single-use plastics, putting an already tremendous strain on the world¿s plastic waste problem. The COVID-19 outbreak severely threatens human society and still there is widespread fear. This chapter highlights how COVID-19 fueled an increase in microplastic pollution. This chapter also discusses how microplastics and the SARS-CoV-2 virus are intertwined due to their extensive distribution in our surroundings, and how they influence each other¿s actions both inside and outside. Further, the guidelines incorporated by different countries are also discussed. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023.