Let’s spread a rumour??

The majority of waste bins across the UK contain dangerous used PPE and ‘could put lives at risk’.

That’s the suggestion from clinical waste collection company BusinessWaste, which suggests up to 80% of domestic and business bins contain possibly hazardous COVID-19-contaminated rubbish.

The company contacted more than 1,560 businesses and households and found four out of five have been throwing used protective gear into their general waste – it suggests these dirty facemasks, gloves and other protective wear pose a threat to refuse workers.

It highlights only 18% are putting the used gear in additional bags or “quarantining” it before disposal, with “virtually no-one” saying they are using a specialist hazardous waste bin.

BusinessWaste spokesperson Mark Hall says, “People need to make sure used PPE is thrown away correctly as it is contaminated waste.”

“By following the correct binning procedures, it ensures you break a link in the chain of infection and helps to stop the spread of the virus.”

https://www.energylivenews.com/2020/06/12/majority-of-uk-waste-bins-contain-dangerous-used-ppe/

This is in all probability a great was to start a wholly unfounded rumour, seemingly in the hope of picking up a little bit of interest.

Yes,. all those gloves and masks being used by millions of people as they go off to the supermarket are, in the strict sense, PPE items. Going further, a disposable glove looks not unlike a disposable glove from a hospital, but that is where the similarity ends. There is a negligible chance of COVID-19 virus contamination, and even less chance of virus transmission, at least that it is not greater than last night’s chip wrappers put into the domestic waste bin by the same householders who had chosen to wear gloves in the hope of protecting themselves and others.

BusinessWaste, you’re talking rubbish!

So, if you think that these waste streams could put lives at risk I suggest that you cancel all of your domestic & business waste contracts and pass them to a company able to manage those safely. And while you’re at it, have you spoken with your employees to explain these new risks that you believe they are now being exposed to?

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