Several Ways to Reduce Waste during the Pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has made a big change to our lives, including being more careful about cleanliness. We wear masks every time we go out, wash our hands and use hand-sanitizers regularly to protect ourselves from getting infected by the virus. Yet, the irony is these new habits contribute to increase the volume of waste around us.

It’s obvious, in a pandemic like this, masks, wet wipes, hand-sanitizer, and disinfectant has become our everyday buddy. The more often we use it, the more waste we produce from using packaging of these items.

The accumulation of waste during a pandemic is not only caused by medical products. During a pandemic, our activities outside of home are limited. This makes us rely on food delivery and online shopping services. The existence of these services certainly makes things easy for us. Though, there are more and more disposable packaged items that we consume and use because of this. As a result, more waste is generated.

Even though some habits in the pandemic era have indirectly increased our waste production, Smartcitizen needs to remember that it doesn’t mean we have to stop using masks, other personal protective equipment (PPE), or stop using delivery services. We just need to learn how to minimize the waste around us. What are the ways? Read the following tips.

Reduce the Use of Medical Masks

The result of The Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI)’s research shows that there are 780 items weighing 0,13 ton of masks and other PPE waste at  the river estuary to Jakarta Bay every day. Therefore, if we want to reduce waste production during this pandemic, we can start by minimizing the use of medical masks. One of the things you can do is by using a cloth mask.

Perhaps, this effort raises a new question in your mind; So, when can we wear a cloth mask?

The World Health Organization (WHO) in the December 2020 edition of the interim guide does not specifically discuss this issue. However, there are several criteria for those who are required to wear medical masks. The criteria are as follows:

1. Medical worker

2. Seniors who are above the age of 60

3. People with comorbidity 

4. Service providers/people who do activities in the same place as people who are suspected/confirmed positive for COVID-19

If you don’t fall into one of the criteria above, you probably can use a cloth mask. However, it is advised for you to wear a cloth mask according to WHO recommendations, the ones consist of 3 layers. Don’t forget to wear your mask properly.

Learn to Sort Waste Properly at Home

Mask and PPE wastes that are not properly sorted have the potential to transmit virus to landfill officers. Hence, it is important for Smartcitizen to learn how to sort waste. First, you need to throw the wastes into the garbage according to their types. First, identify what kind of waste is it? Organic waste? Inorganic waste? Or B3 waste (Hazardous and Toxic Materials)?

Throwing away the wastes according to their types will make it easier for you to manage the waste later so that you can reduce the amount of waste in the landfill. You can process organic waste into a compost. Inorganic waste can be recycled into flower pots, paint containers, or various handicrafts. Even so, not all inorganic waste can be managed personally.

If the trash is in the form of electronic waste, such as cell phones and TVs, be careful. It contains toxic materials that can damage your health. Fortunately, if you are Jakarta resident, the Environmental Service of Provincial Government of DKI Jakarta provides electronic waste pick-up. So you don’t need to be confused about where to distribute your electronic waste.

How about B3 waste (Hazardous and Toxic Waste)? As the name implies, this type of waste comes from products with ingredients that contain toxins, such as pesticides, air fresheners, and disposable medical masks. You need to be extra careful in sorting this waste. Collect B3 waste in its own container, then distribute it to a waste bank that is able to manage B3 waste. When it comes to mask waste that has the potential to infect other people, before throwing it away, make sure you already tear it off, so that it cannot be reused by others.

Applying decluttering Method

Are you familiar with this term? Decluttering is a room-cleaning method by getting rid of the items you no longer need and those who don’t make you happy. You can sell or donate these items if they are suitable for use. so that you can minimize the waste of used clothes, accessories, etc. If you haven’t known about how to declutter things, these are the steps:

Choose which room and zone you want to start declutter first.
Suppose you have decided that you want to start decluttering in your bedroom, choose a certain zone in the bedroom that you will declutter first, such as your wardrobe.
Prepare some containers and label them.
The containers can be boxes or other things. Label each container so you know which container will be filled with the items you want to store, donate, or sell.

Put the items that you don’t want to keep in the containers.

Select the items you don’t want to store and place them in the existing containers. Don’t forget to put them in the container with the right labels.

It is simple, isn’t it? Not only does decluttering help reduce waste in the landfills, but it also can make your house tidier and more comfortable.

Minimizing the use of medical masks, sorting the waste wisely, and decluttering your items are just 3 out of so many ways to reduce waste during a pandemic. You can contribute to protecting the environment in your own way, for example bringing your own shopping bag and cutlery, or by simply not wasting your food. Come on Smartcitizen, together we are able to keep Jakarta clean during this pandemic and beyond!