Used masks, gloves are being tossed as litter. Garbage crews aren’t the only ones who are worried

Thestar.com
Noor Javed
March 26, 2020

A routine trip to the grocery store turned into a potential “health hazard” for a Vaughan woman this week, when she saw dozens of used masks and gloves littered around the parking lot.

Svetlana Katcharovski said she is used to the sight of litter on the ground after the spring thaw, but she was disgusted and concerned when she saw the potentially contaminated items strewn all over the ground --particularly in light of the highly contagious nature of COVID-19.

Katcharovski, who works in health care, took pictures to document the litter, and immediately sent an email to local officials with her concerns, demanding they take action to keep residents safe.

“Today, medical masks were also seen flying and landing on the ground,” wrote Katcharovski, in an email to city of Vaughan and York Region officials. “We have an extreme situation while the infection can potentially be quickly spread by contaminated debris.”

As people across the GTA turn to masks, gloves and disinfectant wipes to protect themselves from the coronavirus, concerns are growing about how the usually single-use materials are being discarded. It comes amid worrying data that shows COVID-19 isn’t like a cold or flu virus --and it can survive for hours, even days, on some surfaces.

Denis Goulet, the president of Miller Waste Systems, which is responsible for curbside waste collection in southern York Region, and parts of Durham and Halton Region said many of their workers have expressed concern around potential exposure to the virus.

“There is concern on the part of frontline operators who are out there every day,” said Goulet. “They are out there dealing with waste, and really, they don’t know the source of it.”

He said that while it may seem obvious, his company has been working with municipalities to get the word out about how to safely discard wipes, tissues and protective gear to minimize the likelihood of workers getting sick.

“We are asking if people have materials that could be contaminated … that they do not put that loose in a container,” said Goulet. “It should be bagged and secured, so that our folks don’t come into contact with it.” This includes all tissues, napkins (normally put in the green bin), and bottles, which would normally be put in recycling.

They are also asking residents in quarantine to double-bag their garbage.

“Our guys have been trained to not litter,” said Goulet. “So if they see loose items, they will invariably collect it. It’s just the way they are conditioned. But they shouldn’t have to do that.”

Goulet, who is also the chair of the Ontario Waste Management Association, said his company has taken other measures to keep the workers safe, including distributing extra gloves, putting hand sanitizers in the trucks, introducing a disinfectant to clean handles and steering wheels and ensuring workers wear their own protective equipment at all times.

On Monday, around 70 waste collection workers in Hamilton took part in a day-long work refusal over concerns about being exposed to the virus while on the job. Barry Conway, vice-president of the CUPE 5167 outside workers unit, said the workers were “seeking assurance that they will be safe while doing their jobs.” Conway said the city has addressed many of their concerns.

CUPE 416, which represents Toronto’s outside workers that handle waste collection east of Yonge Street, has not reported any complaints from workers related to COVID-19 yet, according a union spokesman.

Laura McDowell, director environmental promotion and protection in Environmental Services with York Region said there has been “increased littering of personal protective equipment like masks and gloves in recent weeks.” She says the Region is working with local municipalities to clean regional roads it is responsible for.

After being asked about Katcharovski’s concerns, Vaughan issued a directive this week about how to discard potentially infectious waste and also reminding residents there is a $200 fine for littering.

Vaughan said in “coming weeks,” crews will clean up garbage from public property across the city. “This contract is starting earlier this year than in previous years,” said a spokesperson.

Katcharovski said it’s a start, but does little to fix the immediate problem.

The city has little jurisdiction over private businesses --such as the grocery store parking lot where she saw the litter. The city said it does not levy fines against private owners, but if a company doesn’t comply after receiving a warning, could be subject to an “order to comply” under provincial law.

Katcharovski has offered her own suggestions to the city about the littering problem, including introducing a closed-bin recycling system, weekly cleaning and street sweeping, and bylaw patrols to issues fines and warnings.

And perhaps, most importantly, public education.

“People are trying to protect themselves by wearing these things, but they don’t understand their debris can be damaging to themselves and others,” she said. “If they don’t get that, then they have to be taught --because sadly, it doesn’t come naturally.”