While humans haven’t cherished the planet Earth in the best way possible, owing to the carbon emissions, plastic waste, etc, a new concern has come into the light. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic causing havoc as it already has, sanitation workers came across a new kind of waste.
Sanitation workers are also an integral part of the health care industry as they maintain the cleanliness and the hygiene of the industry, and the country. They also had to deal with the waste in residential areas which increased to 40% in many parts of the United States.
COVID-19 medical waste
RTS Blog
With the current regular waste, additional COVID-19 waste is now flooding the oceans. This also includes Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). This equipment is mandatory for all health care workers and others in the health care industry at all times. Moreover, it also includes disposable face masks, hand sanitizer bottles, and plastic gloves. Governments have advised the general public to use these items during their daily interactions outside their houses.
All of this COVID-19 waste was found beneath the Mediterranean, existing among the regular trash.
There is a need to worry
In 2018, the United Nations Environment Program reported that a consistent flow of 13 million metric tons of plastic per year, is flooding the oceans.
PPE is crucial for the safety of health care workers. Hence, a rise in demand is only natural. However, this demand is a huge concern, especially for disposable face masks.
Any plastic is already harmful to the planet. However, some products such as face masks could possibly take up to 450 years to decompose.
Last month, a French NGO recently looked into the Mediterranean sea-bed around the Antibes. They found 9 surgical face masks, 14 latex gloves, and over 200 litres of other medical waste. Environmental organizations in the United States are concerned regarding the rise in plastic pollution that COVID-19 has triggered.
Necessary actions
COVID-19 is a serious issue and while some countries have managed to control it, others have not. Hence, the waste is somewhat inevitable for a certain period of time, despite the attempts for regulation. Therefore, it is necessary to look at other aspects of plastic pollution and act upon it as needed. This would include disposable grocery bags, takeout containers, etc.
A balance between public health and the effect on the environment needs to be maintained. Furthermore, proper disposal of COVID-19 is necessary, especially for sanitation workers. This is because research shows that the virus can stay on plastic surfaces for up to 2-3 days.
CDC has reported that COVID-19 can be treated in the same manner as for regular medical waste. However, the regulations may differ by location. Furthermore, the state health and environmental departments, as well as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the Department of Transportation, will supervise them.
General protocols include burning, sterilization with steam, and chemical disinfection, before the disposal to a landfill. This is to minimize the public harm.
The other side
COVID-19 has raised concerns regarding excessive amounts of waste in oceans and plastic pollution. However, the environment has also experienced improvements recently in other areas, due to the reduction of carbon emissions, etc that the global lockdown and economic shutdown caused.
Last month, a piece of research was published in the peer-reviewed British journal, Nature Climate Change. The study showed the effects of the pandemic on carbon emissions. This was recorded as a 17% drop globally, peaking by the first week of April. Such levels were last witnesses in 2006, i.e 14 years ago.
The lockdown has been hard for the last few months. However, it restored the freedom of animals. Individuals have shared pictures and videos on social media, showcasing this freedom.