Current status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 3 September 2020
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of single-use PPE (a) becoming litter and (b) contaminating public litter bins in light of it being classified as hazardous waste.
We are aware of the increased concerns about single-use face coverings and glove littering. Littering of any kind is a criminal offence and completely unacceptable.
Face coverings and gloves used by the general public are not classified as hazardous waste. Disposable face coverings and gloves can, and should, be disposed of in a general waste or litter bin. Scottish Government’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) Phase 3: Staying Safe and Protecting others guidance has been updated to include information for the public on the correct disposal of face coverings and gloves.
Zero Waste Scotland have developed additional communication material encouraging use of reusable face coverings and appropriate disposal of single-use face coverings and gloves.
Extra precautions on disposal of personal waste are necessary if someone in a household has, or suspects that they have, Covid-19. These precautions are set out in relevant Health Protection Scotland and NHS Inform guidance and the Scottish Government’s Phase 3: Staying Safe and Protecting others guidance.