As our CE, Janine Brinsdon, heads into discussions on what messages we should be giving New Zealanders about tackling waste during the Level 4 lockdown, the good people of Smart Environmental have been researching the impact of Covid-19 on rubbish and recycling collections around the world.

Key findings

New Zealand’s largest privately-owned waste and recycling company has found that some of the major impact on collections has been due to reduced staff numbers rather than contamination of bags and bins.

Some other key findings are:

• Most countries recommend that waste in bags from infected households needs to be double-bagged, sealed and not put out for up to 72 hours.
• Waste from infected households is not classed as an infectious substance and can be collected as normal waste (the only exception being Finland, which recommends that waste from infected persons should be collected separately).
• MRFS are impacted by close working conditions, so staff need to be split away from each other.

Practices from around the world:

There was little information to be found about changes to collections in China, but elsewhere, COVID-19 waste practices have quickly been established.

Croatia
From 23 March 2020, citizens have been asked to leave their bins and containers in a visible spot for a one-time sanitation exercise. Staff from the local waste management company will disinfect and wash all the residual waste containers, according to a defined schedule.

Czech Republic
According to the National Institute of Public Health, all personal waste from a person in isolation (including masks and tissues) should be stored in a disposable plastic rubbish bag and tied firmly after filling. This should then be placed in a second bag and tied before going into a waste container.

Finland
The Finnish Institute for Occupational Health has instructed waste management companies and their staff and domestic households on preventive measures to stop the spread of COVID-19:

• Tissues and napkins must be discarded with mixed waste rather than biowaste;
• Waste bags must be closed properly;
• If any delays in emptying waste bins, pack waste tight and take them to a storage/room where it will not cause harm to health and where no animals can access it;
• Waste from infected persons must be collected separately.

Germany
The health authorities class the transmission risk in the context of waste collection and disposal as low, based on previous knowledge of the virus. The Federal Environment Agency has confirmed that new type of coronavirus (SARSCoV-2) is safely destroyed at the minimum combustion temperatures prescribed for the incineration of municipal waste.

They therefore recommend that the usual hygienic precautionary measures for collecting and disposing of municipal waste be observed when handling waste from quarantined households. Contaminated waste should be collected together with residual waste, and is not thermally treated in mechanical-biological waste treatment plants.

Since the transmission of viruses has not yet been finally clarified, however, the main risk is to occupational health and safety, so PPE for waste collection staff is vital.

England
Public Health England recommends that all waste that has been in contact with any self-isolated individual should be double-bagged and tied to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The waste should not be disposed of or put out for collection until it’s certain that the individual does not have Covid-19. Once they’ve tested negative, it can then be put in with the normal waste.

If the test is positive, waste must be stored for at least 72 hours, and then placed in the normal waste. 

Personal waste (such as used tissues) and disposable cleaning cloths should be stored securely in disposable rubbish bags. These should be placed into another bag, tied securely, kept separate from other waste and put aside for at least 72 hours before being put in the usual external household waste bin.

The Government Health Agency also warned that waste should only be collected by authorised personnel.

Central Scotland
The North Lanarkshire Council’s Waste Solutions service prepared for the impact of coronavirus by assuming a 35% reduction in staff over a period of 6 weeks. “Although we are currently not experiencing any problems, if we do encounter workforce issues there will be a priority-based approach based on public health, with ‘1’ being the highest priority.”

1. Medical residual (black bin) weekly uplifts.
2. Standard residual (black bin) uplift.
3. Fortnightly food uplift.
4. Trade uplifts.
5. Glass/ Metal/ Plastic Uplift
6. Paper/ Card Uplift
7. Special Uplifts

Italy
The Italian Health Organization and the Health Ministry distinguish between two main categories of municipal waste streams generated by households:

Typology 1 – Municipal waste generated by households with COVID19 positive people in isolation or people in mandatory quarantine.

This is classified as infectious medical waste (hazardous), and requires operations run by specialised companies, collection using standardised bags, sterilisation, specialised treatment plants, etc. The procedures for safe municipal waste management are:

• No separate collection – all the waste fractions are collected as residual waste;
• A bin or container with a pedal is recommended for the waste bags;
• Waste must be collected in one bag and then in a second or even third bag, before going outside the house for collection daily according to the system in place;
• The bags must be tied (with string or adhesive tape) using single-use gloves and not pressed with the hands, and pets should not get close.

If the person in isolation/quarantine is unable to put out the waste for the collection service, the local authority must set up a specific service with specialised staff.

Typology 2 – municipal waste generated by households without COVID19 positive people in isolation or people in mandatory quarantine

 This waste must comply with whatever collection system is in place. Tissues, masks, single-use gloves go into the residual waste stream in double bags closed with string or adhesive tape.

Waste collection staff are highly recommended to comply with Health Ministry rules, wear PPE, clean PPE and overalls regularly, replace single-use gloves if there is a risk of contamination, and sanitise vehicle cabins.

Norway
No extra precautions are being taken. The message is to follow “normal procedure” – ie only waste that was considered contagious before the virus should be considered contagious now. All other waste, including from hospitals, is put in ordinary bags and into the usual mixed waste.

Slovenia
SNAGA has introduced some safety measures – for instance, several though not all collection centres are closed and the collection of hazardous and small electronic waste via mobile collection units has been cancelled. However, no special measures have been taken yet regarding potentially infected waste from households.

Spain
Management of the waste in the home: Tissues, masks, PPE and other waste related to COVID-19 patients or quarantine houses must be deposited in a plastic bag in a bin in the room, preferably one with a lid and an opening pedal. Masks and glasses should be removed outside the patient’s room and put in a plastic bag in a separate container. The bag from the room should go in the bag with the masks (bag 2), and all bags must be hermetically sealed and closed before being removed from the room.

Management of the patient waste bag: After being kept in a safe place for 7 hours, Bag 2 must be deposited in residual waste. Putting this in any of the specific bins for organic, packaging, paper, glass or textiles is strictly prohibited. This waste will go directly to landfill or incineration with no manual intervention, if possible.

For the duration of the crisis, specific collections of type 2 bags may be established for places with a high level of COVID19 infection such as hospitalised hotels. The bags need to be easily identifiable using insulating tape or similar and deposited according to the guidelines from waste collectors.

For staff in both the waste collection teams and the plants where bags are received, PPE will be provided and specific protocols for the protection of workers developed or reviewed.

United States
According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), no special precautions are necessary for COVID-19 and waste from households is to be managed as it would be typically for the flu. The vast majority of municipalities have made no changes to recycling services, but most states have been impacted by reduced staffing numbers and some have closed their drop-off centres.

The final analysis
Some actions are being carried out by many countries; where they are, those messages are clear. Double-bag contaminated waste. Tie it, distinctively. Keep it safe for at least 72 hours before putting it out (usually in general waste), for your waste collection service to pick up using appropriate PPE.

There is not, however, a singular solution. New Zealand is still working through its approach to waste. Once approved by the DIA and Ministry of Health, the guidelines will be posted on www.covid19.govt.nz. Watch this space.