Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of us (especially the front-liners) are required to use personal protective equipment (PPE), face masks, and gloves to combat the health risks threats. However, this posed a problem with how we deal with the huge amounts of PPE waste.
Nonetheless, there are simple steps that we could do on our part, like using the right waste bin for PPE in our facilities, to help solve the problem.
The Problem with PPE
Face masks and other types of PPE help keep the virus from spreading, but unfortunately, they also pose a problem to the environment. Improperly discarded gloves and masks are finding their way to the rivers and other bodies of water, contributing to the existing pollution problem and endangering the health of the communities nearby.
While it’s true that PPE can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and are considered degradable, they still contain plastic that can stay in the environment for many years. Even before the pandemic, we are already dealing with issues on microplastics, and these have even more heightened with improper PPE waste disposal.
How to Prevent the Next Plastic Problem
Even before the pandemic, plastic pollution is already a major problem in our oceans and land ecosystems, endangering the wildlife that thrives in them. While it’s impossible to ditch face masks for safety reasons, it is also crucial that we realize how the waste from these PPEs can impact our environment and ourselves. As used masks and other types of PPE pile up, they will eventually end up in the landfills or get washed out to sea.
Nonetheless, we can help remedy this situation by following some good practices, like using the right PPE glove bin.
Use biodegradable or reusable masks
If we use less plastic, the lesser will be our waste and we also leave a lesser carbon footprint. If you want to stop plastic pollution, then stop using plastic altogether. This can be applicable to face masks and PPE.
Aside from this, it is also advisable to use a waste bin for PPE that allows the segregation of waste depending on the material. You can always find a suitable trash bin for PPE from a supplier that medical facilities trust.
Cut ear straps from masks after use
Waste facemasks with the straps still intact could pose a threat to land and marine animals. According to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), facemasks that find their way to parks and beaches had entangled wildlife when mistook these PPEs for food. So, before you throw these items into a disposable PPE bin, you can do your part in caring for our animals by cutting the ear straps.
Throw gloves and face masks at the designated waste bin for PPE
Contamination is one of the things you want to prevent during this pandemic. The only way to do this successfully is by throwing used PPE in designated used PPE disposal bins. However, recycling products, such as disposable masks, is not yet easily accessible to many. That is why for everyone’s safety, these masks should be treated as medical waste and should be properly disposed of. Otherwise, they can get blown and scatter on roads and even sewers.
Key Takeaway
There are currently no guidelines implemented for PPE recycling, and not all disposable masks and gloves are readily biodegradable. Although they may disintegrate into small particles called nano or microplastics scattered everywhere. Reports on inappropriate mask disposal is an urgent potential threat to the environment. In a scientific journal, researchers have already voiced their concerns and have warned of this potential threat.
Unless the issue of improper disposal of PPEs is addressed, we cannot assure the future well-being of the environment. So, it is best to be educated about the appropriate steps to take to reduce the impact of our fight against the pandemic.
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