Coronavirus: Bengaluru’s waste segregator reveals her ordeal while segregating used face masks, gloves

Bengaluru: Amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, disposing of waste has become a challenge in Bengaluru. With restrictions on transportation and recycling of waste mean that waste management enterprises are fast running out of storage space.

More worrying is that poor consumer knowledge of waste management and segregation has possibly contaminated masks and gloves being disposed of with dry waste.

Kumudha, a waste sorter at Ward 177, JP Nagar, Dry Waste Collection Centre, shared her current challenges in segregation of dry waste.

She requested the residents not to consider used masks and gloves as dry waste. She said it has to be treated as hazardous waste and stored with reject waste. She also appealed that if masks and gloves have to go with the dry waste, then it should be wrapped in a newspaper before disposal.