Used masks, gloves discarded on streets

While hospitals and medical facilities have the option of disposing personal protective equipment (PPE) waste in yellow polythene bags, which is then given to bio-medical waste management service providers, protective material used at home is strewn in garbage dumps. Discarded surgical masks and gloves have now become a common sight on the city streets.

Unfortunately, there are no prescribed norms for the disposal of PPEs by people outside of healthcare settings.

Neetu Kumari Prasad, member-secretary, Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB) said: “We have laid down clear guidelines which read that the waste generated in hospitals and quarantine centres would be collected as part of clearing biomedical waste. But the central pollution control board (CPCB) has made no rules that pertain to general use of the kits.” While people are expected not to litter the streets with potentially infected masks and gloves, there have also been no efforts to create awareness on proper disposal of PPE except in some more developed areas where yellow-coloured bins have been set up for people to drop their used surgical masks and gloves.

Incidentally, PCB officials, on condition of anonymity, say that just because someone is wearing a mask doesn’t mean he or she is infected. “When they are in the hospital, they are given PPE kits to wear. But out of fear of contracting the virus, people are buying and wearing them. It is highly recommended that people wear them only when they are infected or are at risk,” the officials said.

A mask that needs to be disposed needs to be kept aside for 72 hours after which it should be cut into two to prevent recycling and then can be disposed, the officials said.

CENTRAL POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD NORMS FOR DISPOSAL OF WASTE:

General solid waste (household waste) generated from quarantine centres or camps should be collected in bags, securely tied and handedover to municipal solid waste collector identified by urban local bodies for final disposal.

General solid waste comprises waste generated from the kitchen, packaging material, waste food material, waste papers, waste plastics, dust, etc. including leftover food, disposable utensils, water bottles, tetra packs, used by suspected quarantined persons and Covid-19 patients in home quarantine.

Only used masks, gloves and tissues or swabs contaminated with blood/body fluids of Covid-19 patients, including used syringes, medicines, etc. should be treated as biomedical waste.

Biomedical waste from quarantine centres/camps should be collected separately in yellow bags (suitable for biomedical waste collection) provided by ULBs. These bags can be placed in separate and dedicated dustbins of appropriate size.

General waste should not be stored in yellow bags.