Nema partners with youths to sensitise on Covid-19 waste

The National Environment Management Authority has partnered with youth-led volunteer group Komb Green Solutions to sensitise local communities on proper disposal of Covid-19 waste.

Director general Mamo Mamo told the Star on Friday that the group will help raise awareness on the need to dispose the waste as per authority guidelines.

"The youth group will sensitise the community on the need to dispose of the waste coming from Covid-19 pandemic as per the guidelines we issued," Mamo said.

Mamo said the waste needs to be segregated at source.

The Nema boss said the group has already been provided with branded waste pins.

The youth group composed of reformed youth who initially engaged in crime has been at the forefront in ensuring the Nairobi River regains its lost glory.

Already, the group has created a people’s park in Korokocho.

The outbreak of Covid-19 has posed another waste management challenge to the government.

During the pandemic, tonnes of waste is being generated, including biomedical  and pathological waste.

Pathological waste includes human tissues, organs or fluids, body parts and contaminated animal carcasses. Used syringes, needles, disposable scalpels and blades are also generated.

Mamo said the outbreak of the pandemic necessitated Nema to develope guidelines with a view of outlining procedures that must be followed in the management of disease waste in compliance with the provisions of the Waste Management Regulations 2006 on segregation, securing, packaging, treatment and disposal.

The waste generated also includes used face masks, surgical gloves, sanitiser bottles, soap bottles, personal protective equipment and other related medical waste.

To manage this waste the guidelines seek to cautiously handle the Covid-19 generated waste by segregating at source and ensuring that the infectious waste is not mixed with general waste; ensure that the waste is collected and transported by the Nema licensed hazardous waste handlers.

The guidelines also ensure that the waste is disposed of through licensed hazardous and infectious disposal facilities.

According to the guidelines, if the used masks, gloves and sanitiser bottles are tossed in confined spaces such as elevators, market places, offices, matatus/ buses among others they may contaminate the environment, posing a potential threat to people within it.

Further, it is inappropriate to mix contaminated masks/gloves with household waste.

In Kenya municipal waste or garbage segregation is non -existent and mixed waste commonly exists in households as well as in the dumpsites.

The mixture of contaminated waste and recyclable waste may cause a potential danger to waste collectors when they scavenge the waste bins to collect recyclable items.

In the worst-case scenario, if someone just throws a used mask on the street, someone might pick it up, or worse try to collect them to sell second-hand.

The guidelines state that special bins will be set up in communities as centralized disposal points for the used masks and shall be supervised by the public health officers or their agents.

In a gated community, apartments, residential areas, factories, institutions, office blocks, the management or the owner of such facilities will provide medical waste pedal bins that will have biohazard bin liners.

The management/owners will engage a licensed hazardous waste handler to collect and transport the infectious waste for final disposal in accordance with Environmental Management and Coordination (Waste Management) Regulations of 2006.

In the rural and small urban centres at the ward level, the county governments will provide waste bins either at the chief's camp, ward offices or health clinics and any other appropriate designated places that will be communicated to the public.

Collection of such hazardous waste from designated places will be done through a licensed infectious waste handler.

Edited by Henry Makori