Failing to properly dispose of personal protective equipment (PPE) will hurt the environment and could spread COVID-19

Jackson, MS, April 9, 2020 – Keep Jackson Beautiful issued an urgent call today for all Jackson residents and visitors to properly dispose of cleaning supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE), including used sanitizing wipes, masks, and plastic gloves. These belong in the trash, not on the ground.

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“We have been seeing more and more wipes, gloves, and other related items being left behind in grocery store and pharmacy parking lots as well as on our streets and walking trails,” said Heather Ivery, Executive Director of Keep Jackson Beautiful.

“It’s important that proper trash disposal be adhered to, given the COVID-19 virus, she said. “These materials are being used to protect us from possible contamination from COVID-19. If they are not disposed of properly, we are risking the spread of this life-threatening virus.”

If a store provides wipes to clean off a cart, it likely has a trash receptacle nearby. If consumers are carrying their own wipes or gloves, make sure to properly dispose of used gloves, wipes, and masks in a trash receptacle at the store or have a bag inside your vehicle to place the items in to dispose of at home.

Above all things, Keep Jackson Beautiful supports a clean, green, healthy community. Today, that means the primary focus needs to be on the health of individuals and supporting first responders and our health care providers. “No one wants to spread the disease, so we must be careful to properly dispose of these materials,” Heather said. She also discouraged people from picking up wipes or gloves they see littered, because they could be contaminated. “If you used the PPE, it’s your responsibility to dispose of it,” she said.

National nonprofit Keep America Beautiful sent an urgent alert to its more than 650 nationwide affiliates, including Keep Jackson Beautiful, asking them to spread the word among their millions of volunteers. “We will get through this, working together and looking out for one another.”