Mothers Are Asked To Separate Used Masks From Household Trash

JAKARTA - Head of the Section for Management of Hazardous and Toxic Waste (B3) of the DKI Jakarta Environment Agency, Rosa Ambarsari, said that used masks are infectious waste that cannot be mixed with other rubbish.

He said, cleaning officers carry out the sorting and collection of infectious waste from households such as used masks to be handled properly.

"Used masks are classified as infectious waste, the Environmental Service is working with B3 waste processors to destroy them by incinerating them," said Rosa in her statement, Wednesday, December 16.

Rosa asked the public, especially housewives, to start to realize that sorting waste is an important thing to do during a pandemic.

"To the public, especially housewives, to start to realize that sorting household medical waste is an important thing to do," said Rosa.

"We are both sorting and separating ourselves. Then, sprayed with disinfectants and specially packaged. After that it is our responsibility for further handling," he continued.

For information, Acting Head of the DKI Jakarta Environment Agency, Syaripudin said that there were 1.2 tons of disposable mask waste from households that had been collected since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in the capital.

"From the start of the Pandemic in April, Jakarta has been handling infectious waste from households on a routine basis until now. This is done so that infectious waste can be handled properly and avoid the potential for Covid-19 transmission," said Syaripudin.