These guidelines are based on the evidence currently available regarding the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus infection, complying with the need to define operational procedures for the management of urban waste based on the precautionary principle throughout the national territory, as per the Prime Ministerial Decree of 9 March 2020.
Any additional costs incurred by municipalities to deal with the emergency will not lead to an increase in the waste tax..
This document considers the management of two types of waste, specifically:
- Household waste produced in homes where individuals testing positive for a swab are in isolation or mandatory quarantine.
- Municipal waste produced by the general population in households where individuals in isolation or mandatory quarantine following a positive test are not present.
Individuals testing positive or in mandatory quarantine
It is therefore recommended that in households where individuals who have tested positive, are isolating, or are under mandatory quarantine are present, separate waste collection, where it is being carried out, should be ceased. All household waste, regardless of its nature and including tissues, paper rolls, disposable sheets, masks, and gloves, should be considered unsorted waste and therefore collected and disposed of together. For collection, at least two bags should be used, one inside the other, or a greater number depending on their mechanical resistance, possibly using a pedal bin.
It is recommended to:
- Properly close the bags using disposable gloves;
- Do not squash and compress the bags with your hands.;
- Prevent pets from accessing areas where refuse sacks are present.;
- Dispose of household waste daily according to the procedures in force in the area (place it outside your door in the designated bins, or dispose of it in the designated communal or street bins).
It is recommended that the responsible bodies establish a dedicated collection service by appropriately trained personnel.
Subjects not positive and not in mandatory quarantine
For households where there are no individuals who have tested positive, are in isolation, or are under mandatory quarantine, it is recommended to maintain the procedures in force in your area, without interrupting the separate collection of waste.
As a precautionary measure, handkerchiefs or paper rolls, face masks, and gloves that may have been used should be disposed of with general waste.
Additionally, at least two bags must be used, one inside the other, or a greater number depending on the bags' mechanical resistance.
It is recommended to close the bags properly, using disposable gloves, without compressing them, using ties or adhesive tape, and to dispose of them according to existing procedures (place them outside your door in the designated containers, or dispose of them in the designated communal or street bins).
Recommendations for waste collection and disposal operators
With regard to operators in the environmental hygiene sector (Waste Collection and Disposal), the adoption of personal protective equipment (PPE) is recommended, as part of ordinary management, particularly masks (filtering facepieces) FFP2 or FFP3 (in the latter case, compatible with the risk assessment already in place within the company). It is also recommended to carry out the following in a centralised manner:
- The cleaning of overalls and work clothes, minimising the possibility of dispersing the virus into the air (do not shake or beat clothes), subjecting overalls and clothes to washing and following appropriate procedures (washing at a temperature of at least 60°C with common detergents, possibly adding disinfectants such as hydrogen peroxide or fabric bleach);
- The replacement of non-disposable work gloves, given the difficulty in sanitising them, whenever the operator informs their supervisor that they have handled a broken and/or open bag;
- The sanitisation and disinfection of the driver’s cab of vehicles used for urban waste collection after each shift, paying particular attention to fabric surfaces (e.g. seats), which may provide a surface where the virus persists for longer than on the steering wheel, gear lever, etc., which are easier to sanitise. However, care must be taken not to use compressed air and/or pressurised water for cleaning, or other methods that may produce splashes or aerosolise infectious material into the environment. The vacuum cleaner must only be used after adequate disinfection. The use of disinfectants (e.g. alcohol-based, at least 75% v/v) in spray form is recommended.
Unsorted waste management
Unsorted waste must be managed according to current local procedures and, where there are waste incineration plants, incineration must be favoured, in order to minimise any handling of the waste itself.
Waste collection operators must nevertheless adhere to the precautionary hygiene standards recommended by the Ministry of Health, refraining from service in case of respiratory illnesses and feverish conditions.
Source: National Institute of Health
ISS Environment and Waste Management Working Group. Interim guidance for the management of urban waste in relation to the transmission of the sars-cov-2 virus. Version of 14 March 2020. Rome: Istituto Superiore di Sanità; 2020 (ISS Report COVID-19, no. 3/2020)
Download the ISS Covid-19 report
