"A simple act goes a long way."
"A simple act goes a long way."
The mandatory wearing of face masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) has been proven effective and critical in preventing COVID-19 transmission. However, the improper disposal of these protective masks has been overlooked and is now snowballing into a rapid environmental crisis.
This week, the President expressed his concern over the poor management of medical wastes in the country.
Consider the usage in NCR Plus alone. This bubble, which is heavily hit by the virus, registers at least 25.7 million in population. If each resident uses disposable face masks and other PPEs on a daily basis, then almost a billion worth of health-care waste is already required to be managed in just a month’s time.
These are mind-boggling figures. In April, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) reported that around 52,000 metric tons of hospital waste has been produced by the country amidst the pandemic. Unfortunately, only 14,000 metric tons has been treated out of this number.
Recently, divers reportedly spotted used face masks in our coral reefs in Bauan, Batangas. Environmentalists have also expressed grave concern over the presence of discarded face masks along our coastal areas. If not duly taken care of, this problem will soon pose a massive threat in our waterways, food security, and health.
Face masks are considered infectious wastes since they potentially carry viruses and other pathogens that may cause disease. Hence, it requires proper medical disposal to prevent contamination of other things. In Quezon, the Quezon Medical Center has its own Integrated Sterilizer and Shredder that processes the medical wastes generated by the hospital. Local government units, on the other hand, continue to implement proper waste management and collection in their localities. Despite this, perhaps it is high time to ask our experts, particularly those in the Department of Science and Technology, to study the possibility of a recycling system for these single-use masks and other disposable PPE.
A certain technology called waste-to-energy is reportedly being developed by other countries. Such technology is said to employ incineration to generate heat and electricity. Congress passed a bill adopting such technology in November last year, while a similar bill filed by Senator Gatchalian is pending in the Senate. While such proposal is appealing, I call on our scientists and engineers to study this technology to ensure that there is minimal to no negative impact on the environment. Likewise, I urge the national government to extend support to those who will engage in research that may help avert this looming environmental crisis.
Understandably, the nature of these wastes renders them un-reusable today, however, it is imperative that we come up with ways to reduce these pandemic-generated medical wastes. For now, perhaps we can look into reusable and environmentally friendly face masks such as the buri masks from Quezon and other washable face masks from our local manufacturers, provided that they are recommended by medical experts. Reusable PPEs should also be promoted for use when possible and appropriate.
Apart from these ideas, we need collective action. As we battle this public health crisis, the public should do their share in preventing this unfolding environmental crisis. A simple act of putting used face masks in designated trash bins goes a long way.
