Covid waste is rapidly polluting the planet

Thousands of tons of waste associated with the Covid-19 pandemic threaten human health and the environment.

According to the WHO, test packages, used syringes, vaccine vials and other waste are estimated in tons and pose a huge risk to the health of the world’s population. As of November last year, more than 87 thousand tons of personal protective equipment were ordered through the UN portal. Most of it must have ended up in the trash.

A report by the World Health Organization says that roughly 140 million coronavirus test packages could be converted into 2,600 tons of plastic waste and a huge amount of chemical waste capable of filling one-third of an Olympic pool. According to experts, 8 billion doses of vaccines that have been introduced worldwide have generated another 144,000 tons of waste – glass vials, needles, syringes, paper bags.

In addition to contaminating the environment, such materials carry the risk of infection (preservation of the virus on surfaces), as well as the risk of needle damage, burns, and transmission of germs. Covid waste can create problems with water quality and air pollution from landfills.

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