COVID-19 Guidance for Solid Waste Management Workers and Employers

The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA)

Many workplaces and communities are preparing for potential impacts related to the coronavirus (COVID-19). Though information about the virus is still evolving, recommendations for preventing its spread remain similar to what is already prescribed for influenza.

Control and Prevention for Solid Waste Management Workers and Employers

At this time, no special precautions to protect waste workers from COVID-19 are recommended when handling municipal solid waste. Continue to use those precautions already in place to protect workers from the hazards they encounter during their routine job tasks.

Medical waste suspected or known to be contaminated with COVID-19 should be handled like other regulated medical waste. (COVID-19 is not a Category A infectious substance.) Use approved engineering and administrative controls, safe work practices, and PPE to prevent worker exposure to medical waste, including sharps and other items that can cause injuries or exposures to infectious materials.

For additional information, consult the regulated medical waste information in CDC’s guidelines for environmental infection control in healthcare facilities.

Source: US OSHA-Solid Waste

COVID-19 is a recordable illness, per OSHA. And it is being called a recognized workplace hazard, which is important to know for your employee communications.

Full guidance document here.

National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) &

Healthcare Waste Institute (HWI)

The National Waste & Recycling Association’s (NWRA) Healthcare Waste Institute (HWI) published its latest document, COVID-2019 FAQs , to address safe handling of waste during this COVID-19 outbreak .

The document aims to provide answers and guidance to commonly asked questions from NWRA member companies that do not routinely collect or process regulated medical waste .

Notably, waste from homes where a patient has tested positive for COVID-19 can be managed as they would for the flu. No special precautions are necessary.

NERC updated 'MRF Blended Value Report'

NERC has published the third in a series of quarterly reports on the blended value of 1 ton of materials marketed at material recovery facilities (MRFs) in the organization’s 11-state region.

“Blended Commodity Values in the Northeast – February 2020 " covers the period from October through December 2019. An additional MRF participated in the survey, bringing the number of participating MRFs from around the region to 15, NERC says. The new addition is the first privately owned MRF to share data that is incorporated into the report.

Organics Recycling Webinar Series

Hosted by DEEP

Collecting Food Scraps for Composting

and/or Anaerobic Digestion

 

Monday, March 16, 2020

2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

 

Register Now



Presenters:

 

Caren Harder, CT DEEP

Scott Gustafson, Professional Sports Catering

John Ferguson, Quantum BioPower

Chris Field, WeCare Denali (formerly Harvest New England)

  Who should attend?

 

·    Businesses that work in food industry including restaurants, food manufacturers

·    Businesses with large cafeterias

·    Solid waste and recycling coordinators

·    Green Team members from schools, businesses and other organizations

·    Sustainability coordinators

·    Students; university food service staff

·    Zero waste activists

 

Register Now

Interesting Tools/Case Studies

Fr om EPA Region 1 WasteWise

Where Does It Go? Story Map for Organic Waste , February 2020 NRRA newsletter

A map of organic waste facilities in NH, VT and MA. 

From NRRA YIMBY Grant and with the help of the Antioch University Spatial Analysis Lab. View Map.

No Time to Waste: An Analysis of the Material Generated, Discarded and Recovered at South Carolina’s Public Schools , February 2020

This case study was designed to provide a characterization of the solid waste generated throughout one day at six public schools in South Carolina. South Carolina has about 760,000 students and 50,000 teachers in more than 1,200 schools that generate substantial amounts of waste. The vast majority of this waste could be prevented, recycled or composted. Case Study report .

Circular Claims Fall Flat: Comprehensive U.S. Survey of Plastics Recyclability , 2/18/2020

A comprehensive survey of plastic product waste collection, sortation and reprocessing in the United States (U.S.) was performed to determine the legitimacy of “recyclable” claims and labels on consumer plastic products. The survey is based on current conditions in October 2019 to January 2020 and U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Green Guides requirements for product claims and labeling. View results of survey.

Tips to Prevent Food Waste from the Salad Bar , 2/24/2020 blog MA RecyclingWorks

https://recyclingworksma.com/tips-to-prevent-food-waste-from-the-salad-bar/

Archived Municipal Recycling Coordinators E-News and Webinars

Missed the last newsletter on product stewardship or a recent webinar? Look for archived webinars and e-newsletters on the CT DEEP webpage.

What's IN? What's OUT?

www.RecycleCT.com

Recent Questions from CT residents & Added to RecycleCT Wizard

Hyperlinks to above graphic

State Contract Shredding Services

Guidelines for Shredding and Saving Personal Documents

CT In the News

MARCH

Liquor Industry Launches Anti-Litter Campaign (CT News Junkie, March 11)

Green Team River Trash Cleanup 2020: Stamford (Patch, March 11)

Food Scrap Recycling (The Greenwich Sentinel, March 10)

Shredding, electronics fundraiser in Stratford April 18 (CT Post, March 9)

Opinion: Mark D. Fichtel - Camillo Should Tell the Whole Story on Pay As You Throw (Greenwich Free Press, March 9)

‘Nip it in the bin’ campaign aims to reduce litter from mini liquor bottles (WTNH, March 9)

New Haven searching for a fix to its broken recycling program (CT Mirror, March 8)

Little liquor bottles can create big litter headache (The Day, March 8)

UConn Research Shows Microplastics Are Damaging to Coral Ecosystems (UConn Today, March 5)

Fixes Sought to Boost Recycling (New Haven Independent, March 5)

ConnPIRG in support of state Styrofoam ban (The Daily Campus, March 5)

8 Bulk Trash Options Studied in Naugatuck (Patch, March 4)

New program allows Norwalk residents to compost food scraps at home (The Hour, March 4)

State’s Issues with Garbage to Affect Deep River (Zip06, March 3)

Spring Repair Café on April 19, Old Saybrook (Middletown Patch, March 2)

FEBRUARY

New Regional Budget for Hazardous Household Waste Cuts Collection Dates (CT Examiner, February 29)

Newtown Households, Businesses Will See Separate Glass Recycling By Summer (The Newtown Bee, February 28)

Recycling Glass to Change in Danbury Area (Newtown Patch, February 28)

Naugatuck Recycling Center on the Move (Patch, February 27)

Opinion: Sean Goldrick – A Garbage Deal for Greenwich Taxpayers (Green Time, February 27)

Greenwich Raises $12,600 for Food Scrap Recycling Pilot (Greenwich Sentinal, February 26)

Opinion: Evangeline Doolittle – Fresh Talk: The Earthy needs a green Sabbath (Hartford Courant, February 26)

Improving Waste Management (WSHU, February 25)

Attorney: Bethel recycling site wouldn’t harm environment (CT Insider, February 25)

Opinion: Frank Carrano - Recycling food waste from schools – it’s high time (Shoreline Times, February 25)

CT environmentalists push to ban plastic foam food containers (CT News Junkie, February 25)

Group seeks to start composting program for Stamford (Stamford Advocate, February 24)

Connecticut's recycling system is outdated and losing money. Is it time to rethink what we do with our trash?   (CT Mirror, February 24)

Letters to the Editor: CT DEEP Commissioner Letter Supporting PAYT (Greenwich Sentinal, February 20)

Letters to the Editor: State government decisions that need a closer look - Incentivize Recycling (Hartford Courant, February 20)

Food Scrap Recycling Enthusiasts Tout Benefits to Greenwich’s Budget, Environment, Social Justice (Greenwich Free Press, February 19)

Residents Question Proposed "Pay As You Throw" Ordinance (Greenwich Free Press, February 19)

Students raise concerns about composting efficacy (Yale Daily News, February 19)

 Upcoming Events: 

March 12, 2020 - 12pm EST - What's the Bag Deal? Dealing with Film, Wrap and Bags in Your Recycling Stream webinar. For more information. Hosted by The Recycling Partnership.

March 16, 2020  - 2:00pm -  Collecting food scraps for composting and/or anaerobic digestion webinar. For more information . Hosted by CT DEEP.   

TO BE RESCHEDULED: March 18, 2020  - 7:00pm -  What's IN, What's OUT  recycling presentation. Fairfield Public Library, Fairfield. Hosted by Sustainable Fairfield Task Force.

March 19, 2020  - 1:30pm -  Rethinking Recycling webinar. For more information . Hosted by NERC.

 POSTPONED TILL FALL: March 23, 2020  -  CT Compost Conference . CCSU, New Britain, CT.  For more information . Hosted by a coalition of CT NOFA, CT ARCD and other compost enthusiasts.

CANCELLED: March 24, 2020 - 9:30-11:30 . Solid Waste Advisory Committee meeting. For more information, including webinar link . Hosted by DEEP.

CANCELLED - MAY BE RESCHEDULED: March 29, 2020  - 11:00am - 4:00pm -  Zero Waste Faire & Sustainable Living Expo . Wilton High School Field House, Wilton.  For more information.

TO BE RESCHEDULED: March 30, 2020  - 6:30pm -  What's IN, What's OUT  recycling presentation. Lucy Robbins Welles Library, Newington. Hosted by Newington DPW.

March 31, 2020 - 1:00pm - 2:15pm - Best Management Practices for Community Composting webinar. For more information . Hosted by Composting Association of Vermont.   

April 1, 2020  - 2:30-5:30pm EST Evaluating Consumer Food Waste Reduction Interventions webinar option. For more information . Hosted by The Ohio State University.

April 21-22, 2020  -  NERC's Spring '20 Conference . Rocky Hill.  For more information . Hosted by the Northeast Recycling Council.

April 28-29, 2020  -  Community Based Social Marketing . Bridgeport. For more information . Hosted by the Long Island Sound Study.   

May 18 & 19, 2020  -  NRRA Recycling Conference & Expo . Manchester, New Hampshire. For more information . Hosted by the Northeast Resource Recovery Association.

Have an idea or topic for future municipal recycling webinar? Let us know what you and your colleagues would like to learn more about. Contact Sherill Baldwin.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request an accommodation contact us at (860) 418-5910 or [email protected].