COVID-19 Info and Service Updates April 8, 2020 Email Temporary Changes Polystyrene ordinance postponed for 12 months until April 9, 2021. Click HERE for the ordinance postponement letter. Compliance with COVID-19 precautions established by SLO CO Health Department. Click HERE for the latest update. Business and Residential Hazardous, Universal & Electronic Waste Facilities Are OpenFace Mask Required Landfills Landfill hours and services may be impacted by COVID-19. Please contact the landfill nearest you for service changes. Click HERE for contact information. Single-Use Plastic/Reusable Bags Many grocers and retailers are temporarily distributing single-use bags (some free of charge) as a precaution to protect their employees. Temporarily, they may not allow customers to use or even bring in their reusable bags to the store. CLICK HERE to find out how to clean and disinfect your reusable bag Please check with your grocer or retailer for updates on any specific precautions they may be taking. How to Treat Waste Related to COVID-19 As you are probably already aware there is a new infectious disease known as COVID-19 going around. This disease is caused by the Novel Coronavirus which was first identified in Wuhan, China and has now spread to over 100 countries including the United States. Here’s what you need to know about disposing of waste from suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19. Household Waste Even if you suspect you or someone else in your household may have COVID-19, household waste can still be treated as normal. Remember to wash your hands thoroughly after dealing with any objects you suspect could be contaminated. Household garbage can be set out for collection as normal. There is no need to indicate that your garbage may be contaminated. The Center for Disease Control has advised garbage collectors that no special precautions are necessary when dealing with household waste related to COVID-19. As a reminder, single-use/anti-bacterial wipes should be disposed of in the trash, and this includes the so-called “flushable” wipes which aren’t flushable. Paper towels go in the trash. Please do not put any cleaning wipes, tissues or paper towels in the recycling. The cylindrical plastic cleaning wipes containers can go in the recycling when empty, along with any empty soap or hand sanitizer plastic bottles. Soapboxes, paper towel tubes, and other clean paper items can continue to go in the recycling as well. Business Waste Similarly to household waste, waste from commercial businesses and retail entities can be managed as usual unless directed otherwise by local health authorities. Remember to wash your hands after dealing with objects you suspect could be contaminated. Sharps and Medical Waste The Healthcare Waste Institute recommends using single-use sharps containers for suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients. With that exception, all medical waste suspected to be contaminated with COVID-19 should be handled like other regulated medical waste. COVID-19 is not a Category A infectious substance so it doesn’t require special handling beyond standard medical waste. How to Remove PPE In addition to washing your hands, using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) can help reduce transmission. However, the effectiveness of PPE can be reduced if not removed properly. Here’s how the California Department of Public Health recommends you remove your PPE: “When removing personal protective equipment, first remove and dispose of gloves. Then immediately clean your hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Next, remove and dispose of facemask, and immediately clean your hands again with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Place all used gloves, facemasks and other contaminated items in a lined container before disposing of them with other household waste. Clean your hands (with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer) immediately after handling these items.” As the situation continues to evolve, waste handling measures may change. Be on the lookout for additional information from local health authorities. The California Manufacturers & Technology Association (CMTA) is working with the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) to bring resources to keep manufacturers open and safe during COVID-19. To learn more about manufacturing repurposing during these unprecedented times, click HERE If you are a manufacturer who wants to talk to your regional hospitals directly about their needs, the California Hospitals Association gave us the following key contacts: Sutter Health Keri Thomas, Vice President [email protected] Kaiser Permanente [email protected] Dignity Health Supplies [email protected] UC Davis [email protected] Adventist [email protected]
