DALLAS — It is hard enough to avoid people while shopping, but now there's a maze of medical trash. There are gloves, masks and wipes littered across supermarket parking lots.
Those items seem to be the last things people ditch before leaving a store and getting into their cars.
The issue has prompted several cities in North Texas, including Frisco, to release a public-service-announcement (PSA).
"Throw it away in a proper trash receptacle. It doesn't go in the recycling bin and it definitely doesn't go on the ground. This is the time that we can come together," said Julianah Marie, who is with Frisco's Environmental Services.
Social media is littered with photos from people who witness medical trash in their communities. In a Kroger parking lot in Little Elm, there were well over 25 pairs of gloves and hundreds of wipes laying on the ground.
"Our grocery store workers are heroes too. They're being exposed to hundreds of people. If you want to take off your PPE, put it in the trash please," said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.
The CDC reports COVID-19 can live on surfaces between two hours and two days.
"It would potentially have contamination, so people shouldn't touch it," said Dr. Philip Huang of the Dallas County Health Department.
Some parking lots have put out trashcans to combat the amount of trash that has piled up. Property owners and cities are ultimately responsible for the cleanup.
Experts recommend the public always has a trash bag that can be quickly sealed stored in their vehicles. This would allow for easy disposal of any medical trash while out.
Keeping our community virus-free and trash-free rests on on our own shoulders.
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