In addition to the socio-economic crisis that the Coronavirus will effect , an environmental crisis is on the horizon. The number of s masks discarded every day in Tunisia varies from 5 to 6 million
Hamdi Chaabane, an expert in waste management, predicted that the situation would become frequently catastrophic, especially in urban areas, in the absence of civil behavior and appropriate solutions, especially for recycling.
“This new waste, in addition to the increased risk of pollution, is very harmful to the environment, because it is mainly made up of plastic or petroleum derivatives, such as non-woven propylene, and of materials that do not easily degrade”, he explained to the TAP agency, adding that experts estimate, for example, that a surgical mask will take 450 years to decompose.
“Families are now producers of covid-19 waste just like hospitals and quarantine centers. Everyone is encouraged to sort the waste from the source and isolate it, in a separate bag or container, for a period of 12 to 24 hours to avoid the risk of contamination. ”
According to the same source, municipalities are also required to provide agents with all the necessary protective equipment while the Coastal Protection and Development Agency (APAL) is called upon to strengthen controls on companies authorized to collect and to manage this waste, to prevent it from being released into the natural environment, which puts people’s lives in danger.
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