One thing that you tend to forget about during a global pandemic is the frightening amount of plastic waste we’re generating, with many stores and businesses banning reusable bags and containers.

A trip to the grocery store will tell you as much, from the plastic bags containing your groceries to the disposable gloves that litter parking lots. If you’re the type of person who always has their reusable bags and coffee mug at the ready, then the past few months have been quite the bitter pill to swallow. Even Starbucks said they would no longer let customers bring in their reusable containers back in March.

Well, that might change. Today, more than 100 scientists from 18 countries released a statement saying that reusable containers are safe to use during the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement comes on the heels of several states ending or stalling plastic bag initiatives, as was the case with New York when they delayed their March ban to June.