• Covid-19: Leaving garbage out of the container, a risk factor for the spread of the virus

A gesture that before the confinement caused tedium has become one of the favorite moments of the day. The act of taking out the garbage are those seconds of daily life that allow us to imagine that we are not immersed in a health crisis of global dimensions. We accumulate more garbage and that is reflected in the domestic containers. Now they eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at home, a home confinement that has been reflected in the 15% increase in the use of the yellow container.

According to data provided by the non-profit organization Ecoembes, since the start of the state of alarm on March 14, Spanish citizens have increased the use of the yellow container by 15% to recycle their brik, plastic and metal containers. . What denotes that the pandemic has not made the citizens abandon their commitment to recycling.

The data comes from the information collected in more than 80% of the selection plants distributed throughout Spain. "We were already coming from an upward trend in the collection of packaging compared to last year, but during these days we have seen an increase of approximately 15% in the tons of waste input", explains Albert Mateu, CEO of Griñó Ecològic, a group that works with Ecoembes in the treatment of waste that is deposited in the yellow container.

The collection of waste is part of the essential activities that maintain its activity, that is why, in the processing plants, security measures are extreme these days. "Following the indications of the Government, the city councils across the country are guaranteeing the selective collection of waste for subsequent recycling, prioritizing at all times the safety of employees" who work in the facilities where the waste is treated, comment from Ecoembes .

In the treatment plants of Tarragona and Lleida where the waste from the yellow container of each province is managed, in addition to applying measures such as control of spaces, temperature and individual protections for workers, they have restructured the employees' work shifts. to ensure that its activity is not paralyzed during the health crisis.

“We have generated two shifts and one catch. For now there has been no case of contagion in our facilities, but if this were to occur, the entire shift of the affected worker would be replaced by that of a retainer to continue providing service, "explained Mateu. In addition, it indicates that the workers of the different shifts do not coincide, neither in the locker rooms nor in the common areas.

Just as confinement has increased the use of the yellow container, the slowdown in economic activity, especially in sectors such as hospitality and retail, has caused a downward trend in waste deposited in both blue containers ( paper and cardboard) as in the gray ones (rest).

Less recycled paper

Some municipalities have already released their data regarding waste production and the general trend is downward. Specifically, in Madrid, 19% less household and small business garbage is produced, going from a daily average of 3,327 tons before the state of alarm to 2,700 tons today, according to municipal sources.

In Mallorca the trend is similar. According to the Consell announced at the beginning of the month, «compared to the same period last year, the decrease has been 16.98% in the production of garbage or other waste (fraction made up of waste that is not susceptible to being recycled). In the case of organic matter, the generation of this waste has dropped by 6.87% ".

A downward trend directly related to the closure of the hospitality industry. Although in the case of household packaging and waste, the data coincides with that of Ecoembes, thus indicating that "the recycling of packaging in Mallorca has increased during the first fifteen days of the state of alarm".

Guide to get rid of gel cans, gloves and masks

Following recommendations from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (Miteco) offers instructions on the management of household waste and its treatment, as well as the management of collection services with the aim of managing them properly without endanger the operators of the plants and the collection service.

To prevent the spread of the coronavirus, in homes where people live with Covid-19 or who suspect they have it and are in quarantine, waste materials should be deposited in the gray waste containers. This must be done both with the patient's waste, including the disposable material used by the sick person (masks, handkerchiefs, gloves), and with that of the caregivers. This material will be put in a plastic bag placed in a garbage can inside the room (preferably with a lid and opening pedal).

The bag should be tightly closed before removing it from the room. Then, outside the isolated person's room, there will be another garbage can or secondary bag, where both the mask and gloves used by the caregiver and the first bag containing the waste in contact with the patient will be discarded. Afterwards, this secondary bag, which must also be hermetically closed - for example with electrical tape - will be inserted in a third one along with the rest of the household waste.

The next step is to dispose of this third bag, which contains both the waste that has been in direct contact with the infected person and the waste from the rest of the house, in the waste fraction container, that is, the waste that is not recycle (gray color).

Specifically, from Ecoembes clarify that «garbage from this type of household should never be separated or placed in yellow, blue or green containers to avoid contact with collection operators and sorting plant workers. Those bags will be used directly, and without human manipulation, for subsequent disposal in a controlled landfill or incineration plant. "

Last Wednesday, the European Commission published on its website a guide on waste management during the current pandemic, highlighting that “in the context of the coronavirus crisis, it is even more important that citizens separate their waste well and ensure clean flows of recyclable waste to treatment facilities. "

The rest of the citizens must discard the masks and gloves (used to make the purchase or for any other activity, regardless of the material they are) in the remaining fraction container, that is, the waste that is not recycled. It is very important that they never be placed in the yellow container, where the hydroalcoholic gel containers must be placed.

It should be noted that the hygienic masks distributed by the Government in public transport are not reusable and must also go to the rest container, never to the paper container, where they will be disposed of in a properly closed bag.

Circular Economy Series carried out in collaboration with the organization Ecoembes

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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