Sustainable Development
The Trash Left Behind by COVID-19: An Overdue Overhaul of Waste Disposal Management
The COVID-19 pandemic has put nations to the test, exacerbating issues that have been on the back burner and forcing the hands of leaders to reckon with these challenges. It is estimated that over ten million face masks are being used and discarded daily in Malaysia[1]. Food packaging and shopping bags have compounded this issue as the economy resorts to non-contact deliveries.
In essence, the pandemic has caused a skyrocket in solid waste production. Urbanised and rural states alike are forced to turn to online consumerism, with the current health climate fuelling new single-use necessities such as sanitary wipes and plastic take-away boxes. Despite the adoption of a “new norm”, the government is yet to provide guidance on the safe disposal of items such as disposable face masks.
