Face mask and medical waste generation in the City of Baguio, Philippines: its current management and GHG footprint

Face mask and medical waste generation in the City of Baguio, Philippines: its current management and GHG footprint

The daily use of facemask to prevent virus transmission increases the negative effect on the environment because of improper waste disposal. Due to the absence of baseline data, the impact of facemask and medical waste generation, as well as the community’s management practice, should be studied to...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of material cycles and waste management Vol. 25; no. 2; pp. 1216 - 1226
Main Authors: Lunag, Marcelino N., Abana, Alexander S., Agcaoili, Juco P., Arellano, Jillien Kaith T., Caluza, Coleen Angela G., Decena, Nick Brylle V., Paz, Emmanuel R. Dela, Delgado, Lyka Angela B., Obero, Aaron F., Ocampo, Don Miguel E., Sacdalan, Charlene Ann D.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Tokyo Springer Japan 01-03-2023
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects:
Carbon dioxide
Civil Engineering
Climate change
Computer applications
COVID-19
Ecological effects
Ecological footprint
Engineering
Environmental degradation
Environmental effects
Environmental Management
Footprint analysis
Garbage collection
Global warming
Greenhouse gases
Medical wastes
Protective equipment
Regional Case Study
Solid wastes
Waste disposal
Waste management
Waste Management/Waste Technology
Philippines
Facemask
Energy recovery
Waste generation
Environmental impact
Baguio city
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Summary:The daily use of facemask to prevent virus transmission increases the negative effect on the environment because of improper waste disposal. Due to the absence of baseline data, the impact of facemask and medical waste generation, as well as the community’s management practice, should be studied to avoid further environmental degradation. In this study, we surveyed 384 respondents and conducted computational analysis to provide an overview of the household’s facemask usage and ecological footprint in combating Covid-19. Results showed that most respondents (48.7%) use two facemasks per day. Thus, an estimated 417,834 facemasks are disposed daily, generating 3,585 kg/day of additional waste. The average medical waste of Covid-infected individuals is 3.29 kg per day per capita. This yields 22,438 kg. of CO 2 eq., which could contribute to the global warming potential; however, there is also a potential recovery of 61.572 gigajoules of energy for power generation. Most respondents are aware of proper facemask waste management practices, but some lacks application regarding responsible waste disposal. Despite the contribution of facemask to the overall solid waste generation, the city’s current management remains a challenge since disposable facemasks are potentially mixed with other types of waste from its storage, collection, and disposal.
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ISSN:1438-4957
1611-8227
1611-8227
DOI:10.1007/s10163-023-01601-2