Dispose COVID-19 garbage properly: WP Solid Waste Management Authority

By Reka Tharangani Fonseka 

Western Province Solid Waste Management Authority Director Nalin Mannaperuma yesterday said that not to dispose the garbage including tissues, gloves and face masks which used in quarantine centres and by people who are self-quarantined, to public garbage dumping sites.   

He urged the residents to burn up the garbage such as tissues, gloves and face masks in their homes and help to protect the public health and safety.   
“There could be a risk to garbage collectors health by disposing such garbage from houses where COVID-19 infected patients were found,” he said.   

Manapperuma said that officials have to identify the houses where COVID-19 patients were found through Public Health Officials and to advise them to burn their garbage in their homes.   
Residents who have been sent to quarantine, where there is no possibility of burning or burying garbage have been told to take measures to safely dispose of the garbage in a sealed bag for 72 hours after 14 days, he said.   

He added that all local authorities have been informed to ensure that garbage disposed from the identified quarantine homes and corona-infected homes were done in a safe manner.   
“The plastics removed from these homes cannot be handed over to the garbage recycling centres,” he said.   

Manapperuma further added that there are twenty-five active garbage dumping sites in the Western Province and 49 local authorities from Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara Districts are dumping garbage to these public waste dumps.