News
Waste in quarantine times
Face-protecting masks, gloves and other personal protective equipment from healthy people should be thrown in mixed waste container/bag.
All waste from people infected with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, as well as those who come into contact with those infected or are at risk of infection. The ministry asks to exercise special caution.
- It is recommended to wait 72 hours after closing the bag before handing over the waste bag for collection;
- a person in isolation places the waste in a bag intended for this kind of refuse, if possible, spray the bag with a virucidal preparation;
- a bag with waste should not be filled to more than ¾ of its capacity and should not be crushed;
The ministry also issued a relevant announcement on the procedure related to entities involved in the collection and management of waste:
- according to the initial guidelines of the European Commission, waste ceases to pose a hazard after nine days,
- it is recommended that selectively collected waste should be stored, if possible, for nine days before processing,
- waste in bags, should not be processed by people - if not technically viable to process on fully automated lines without human intervention, the waste should be sent directly for disposal (thermal transformation or direct storage, preferably in landfills with an active degassing installation) ),
- in the event of personnel shortage, thus waste collection or waste management services limitations, it is recommended to:
- reduce the collection frequency for selectively collected waste - glass, paper, metals and plastics fractions,
- in the first place ensure waste collection and treatment of mixed municipal waste and bio-waste in order to ensure the collection and treatment continuity,
- it is recommended to establish specific working conditions for older workers;
- if possible and necessary, it is recommended to provide personal protective equipment, i.e. glasses or shields, masks, gloves and work clothes.
- People who have direct contact with waste collected in bags are recommended to:
- use of appropriate personal protective equipment, such as goggles, helmets, masks, gloves, working and protective clothing,
- strictly adhere to increased hygiene standards, including frequent changes and cleaning of personal protective equipment and washing of working clothes; replacement of gloves;
- regular disinfection of devices, car cabins, equipment cabins on sorting lines in plants,
- if possible, frequently wash and disinfecting hands,
- employees’ should be equipped with dispensers with the recommended virucidal hand disinfectant.
(MBr)