As the COVID-19 pandemic is disrupting the lives of people across the globe, it is also affecting waste management. With lock-downs and physical distancing, there are challenges with the disruption or failure of urban basis services, including the collection, treatment and disposal of waste, which is essential for hygiene and public health. The changes to daily routines are altering the amount and type of waste generated from households and public spaces, and with potential threats from infectious and medical waste including masks, and used tissues, contaminating the municipal waste stream.
These changes are also causing temporary stoppages of some waste value chain activities (e.g. recyclables are not purchased by recyclers), impacting upon livelihoods of the most vulnerable (e.g. waste pickers) as well as material recovery. There is a need to adequately and safely dispose of the collected waste from households and medical facilities dealing with COVID-19 treatment. The present guidelines seek to address this and support decision-makers in developing a solid waste management response strategy to the COVID-19 situation. The present guidelines seek to address this and support decision-makers in developing a solid waste management response strategy to the COVID-19 situation. For more details, please click here.
