“Some medical waste is absolutely necessary (to throw away) for safety and hygiene. But also there are ways that we can still continue to reduce our waste,” Oposa told CNN Philippines’ The Final Word on Thursday.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 18) — A marine conservationist appealed to fellow Filipinos to observe zero-waste habits during this COVID-19 pandemic.
The Filipina marine advocate said just like any other trash, face masks polluting the oceans can be mistaken by marine animals for food, which can lead to their death.
Save Philippine Seas co-founder Anna Oposa emphasized plastic and medical waste like face masks should be disposed of properly, as these tend to pollute the seas and other marine resources.
Oposa encouraged the use of reusable face masks, or extend the use of masks if hygienically possible. She urged Filipinos to avoid littering these on the streets as well.
Oposa also called on government officials and other stakeholders to invest in building facilities that will process medical waste in the country.
“We did not anticipate that we will be producing this much waste. But we need to catch up in terms of investments,” she said.
Oposa also appealed to the public to control plastics usage, as shoppers turn to online purchases.
“It’s hard to be plastic-free in a time like this. But what I try to do with all the e-commerce waste that I have is to collect them, I clean them, and I dry them. I bring them to a plastic waste collection point,” she said.
In April last year, the Asian Development Bank said Metro Manila could generate 280 metric tons of medical waste per day during the pandemic — an estimate based on a peak period of 60 days in Wuhan, China. ADB clarified on Friday that it has no local data on what was actually experienced. It said what the report indicated was Manila, under similar peak circumstances, could generate the same amount of medical waste per day.
The National Solid Waste Management Commission issued guidelines on the proper handling and management of all COVID-19 related health care wastes generated by households and other facilities, while ensuring the occupational health and safety of waste workers.
Note: this report corrects details about the ADB report.
