Littering of face masks and plastic gloves is becoming an issue
for councils who are seeing more Personal Protective Equipment
discarded incorrectly, a new survey by the District Councils’
Network reveals today.
Almost half of councils (40 per cent) responding to the survey
say that littering of PPE is a problem in their area.
The DCN, which represents 187 district councils collecting the
waste from over 20 million people in England, is calling on
residents to do their bit and dispose of masks, gloves and other
PPE responsibly and properly by using a bin – ideally at home.
As well as being unsightly and potentially dangerous for pets and
wildlife, there is a risk that they could spread infection.
The World Health Organisation has warned that appropriate
disposal is essential to avoid any increase in transmission.
It comes as nearly nine in 10 councils have seen an increase in
recyclable waste since lockdown measures were imposed in March,
with some weeks being like Christmas collections.
Mass home working and a rise in online shopping are believed to
be the key factors behind the increase.
To coincide with Recycle Week 2020, the survey has found that for
some councils:-
- Greater volumes of glass were collected while the pubs were
shut
- Tourist areas needed to deploy extra resource to manage
litter bins and recycling banks
- Refuse in parks and open spaces increased dramatically, as
well as dog bin waste
- Rise in garden waste – even though this is usually a service
that residents have to pay for - has put a further strain on
councils
- Fly-tipping has increased
- Staff absence has presented a further challenge in managing
services
The DCN is thanking residents for their commitment to recycling
and urging them to continue efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle
waste.
But it is also asking residents to be responsible and mindful in
how they dispose of used face masks and gloves.
Cllr Dan Humphreys, District Councils’ Network Lead Member for
Enhancing Quality of Life, said:
“PPE waste is becoming a problem for many councils with more
communities sadly seeing it become a normal part of litter left
on the streets and in other public spaces.
“Not only does this blight local areas, but it also risks
spreading infection. Face masks, gloves and other forms of PPE
are designed to protect people from infection, but poor disposal
risks doing the opposite.
“We need to express our gratitude for the magnificent effort of
council waste collection teams during the hugely challenging
times of the past few months, and for the vast majority of
residents working hard to recycle waste and discard PPE
responsibly.
“Keeping waste collections going has been a powerful symbol of
life continuing as normal and has reassured residents that their
council has continued to carry out the day-to-day services for
every household across every street in the country.
"We would remind residents to be responsible and think carefully
about how they manage and dispose of their waste, to help our
waste collection crews.”
NOTES TO EDITORS
The survey was carried out by the District Councils’ Network and
received responses from 70 district councils.
