How To Safely Dispose Of Your COVID-19 Waste And Not Harm The Waste Handlers

COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown have created both positive and negative effects on the environment. On one hand, the air pollution has reduced to a great extent, on the other, the medical waste volume has increased, exposing civic workers and waste handlers to the risk of COVID-19.

As most of the people with the infection are recovering at home, disposing of their used masks, sanitiser bottles, tissue papers with blood, PPE kits, gloves and other medical waste along with their domestic garbage have become a threat to the environment and human health.

This is because the mixing of infectious waste with regular household waste is exposing civic and solid waste collectors to the risk of COVID-19 as they are responsible to collect and segregate the waste.

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This could be risky as these infectious wastes are meant to be stored, collected and treated separately and scientifically, and mixing them is leading to a sharp increase in the number of cases among people in the sector.

In this article, we will discuss what is infectious waste and how you can safely dispose of your COVID-19 waste without harming the waste handlers.

What Is Infectious Waste?

Infectious waste is a category of waste that is suspected to contain pathogens like viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites in sufficient quantities to pose an increased risk of disease transmission in susceptible hosts. [1]

It usually includes materials and medical devices which are used for diagnosing, detecting and treating COVID-19. Such waste is mainly waste contaminated with blood, tissues, bodily fluids, organs, needles, thermometers, toilet papers, swabs, urine bags, and other medical devices or materials that have come in contact with bodily secretions of the infected patients.

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Why Infectious Waste Could Be Dangerous?

According to a study, the amount of hazardous waste expected to be generated every day from the most infected person is 3.40 kg. The sudden increase in the waste generated from COVID-19 infected patients has caused immense pressure on the waste management industry, not only in India but around the world. [2]

Infectious waste can cause environmental and health problems when they are not properly stored, transported or handled. This is because, as per a study, the COVID-19 virus can remain active on surfaces like plastic, metal and glass for up to nine days [3], on serum samples for 11-12 days, 17-31 days in stool and 13-29 days on respiratory secretions. [4]

With improper handling, they can lead to the spread of the virus Also, if medical waste is not segregated properly in the house and mixed with other household waste, they too get hazardous and increase the volume of infectious waste.

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How To Safely Dispose Of COVID-19 Waste?

• If there is a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 case in the house, their waste must be considered potentially harmful and thus, handled with care. [4]
• Their waste must be collected without any delay and should not be left open in the air.
• Medical waste should not be mixed with other domestic garbage.
• The waste container should be sealed properly after storing the waste.
• To avoid direct contact with the waste, the bag should be sealed before the waste reaches 70 per cent.
• Wash hands properly after sealing the garbage bag.
• While disposing of the infectious waste should be put in a separate bin meant for them, probably with recognisable yellow colour.
• According to the Pollution Control Board guidelines, waste like leftover food, tetra packs and food packaging used by the COVID-19 patients should be considered as general waste and not be put in yellow bags.
• Some corporations may consider leftover food and water packets by COVID-19 patients to drop in yellow bags. Therefore, go according to the rules of your municipal corporation.
• Make sure that the bin is kept away from scavengers like crows and other flocks.

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Guidelines For Waste Management System

• The waste management company should provide specialised trained workers to handle medical waste and ensure that only the designated workers collect the waste.
• Designated vehicles for handling infectious waste should be assigned, not in the same vehicle in which household waste is taken.
• Protective gears such as splashproof gowns, gumboots, safety goggles, heavy-duty gloves and multiple layered masks should be provided to workers collecting the COVID-19 wastes at houses.
• Workers who are collecting general waste should also sanitise the waste with sodium hypochlorite solution
• They should also be informed of spraying disinfectant at houses where people are quarantined.
• The workers should also be capable of educating people on how to identify infectious waste and segregate them.

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To Conclude

According to some studies, the COVID-19 is likely to prevail beyond 2025. Considering this, a long-term management plan of the medical waste should be prepared to prevent another pandemic to occur due to improper waste management.

Use reusable masks or those that can be sterilised, operate recycling facilities regularly with 50 per cent staff on a rotational basis to prevent accumulation of waste and make ways for general awareness among citizens so that they can cooperate well with the scenario