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

ABSTRACT: 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 2

SUBMITTER: Lunag MN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9884183 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature