Garbage collectors complain about improper disposal of used face masks

Garbage collectors, who are among  frontliners in the fight against COVID-19 , are complaining that some households do not segregate their used face masks and lump the medical trash with municipal waste.

In an interview Wednesday morning  on Super Radio dzBB, Grace Sapuay of the Solid Waste Management Association of the Philippines said they are receiving complaints from garbage collectors that face masks are not disposed of properly.

Sapuay: Sana 'yung mga face mask 'wag isama sa municipal waste na kanilang (garbage collectors) kinukuha. 'Yan ay considered as clinical waste.

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) April 29, 2020

She pointed out that the trash collectors are considered frontliners in the fight against COVID-19.

LIVE sa DZBB: Grace Sapuay, Solid Waste Management Association of the Philippines kaugnay ng tulong sa mga garbage collector na itinuturing ding front liners.

????: @dzbb 594 kHz
????: #DobolBSaNewsTV
????: https://t.co/Q2O7oZNP59
????: https://t.co/51seJ7TDXY pic.twitter.com/ltlbN3wczp

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) April 29, 2020

Sapuay: 'Yung ating mga basurero dapat bigyan natin ng tulong.

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) April 29, 2020

Earlier, EcoWaste Coalition, an environmental health organization, proposed that frontline environmental workers should be given a hazard pay. 

In its blog post, the EcoWaste said it had proposed to the government the provision of appropriate hazard pay for garbage collectors during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) to stem the spread of the dreaded novel coronavirus disease 2019.

It added that the calculation of the requested hazard pay should begin from March 17, 2020 until the ECQ is terminated. —LBG, GMA News