QUEZON CITY, Philippines — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Sunday raised concerns over medical wastes, such as face masks and personal protective equipment (PPE), affecting dive sites and coral reefs. Environment Undersecretary Benny Antiporda said the agency is working closely with the Philippine Coast Guard and the Department of Interior and Local Government to improve the management of household wastes.
Reacting to the statement, Greenpeace Campaigner Marian Ledesma said:
“We support DENR’s call for strict segregation and proper disposal of household wastes as this will help ease the burden of handling discarded face masks and PPEs among Filipino communities, especially in coastal areas. We believe we need to act fast on this issue because its impact on our oceans is also affecting our health and food security.
The overwhelming amount of medical wastes can be countered by promoting the use of reusable PPE, as well as boosting information dissemination on the safety of reusables and safe handling of medical wastes. Health experts from around the world have vouched for the safety of reusable PPEs for non-medical use. This must be publicly known.
“The rising number of COVID19 cases is expected to directly affect medical waste generation. We must be reminded that protecting Filipinos’ health also means we need to be cautious of its environmental impacts. The safety measures we put in place should not create new health problems now or in the future.”
[1] Greenpeace to gov’t: Support production of reusable PPEs to address shortage, waste issues | August 3, 2020
Media contact:
Angeli Cantillana
Communications Campaigner, Greenpeace Southeast Asia – Philippines
[email protected] | +63 998 595 9733
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