With the majority of residents in protective face coverings and many also opting to wear gloves in public, Malibu has now joined towns and cities across the country—and world—with reports of PPE (personal protective equipment) litter strewn in the parking lots and sidewalks of Malibu’s shopping centers.
Local news organizations from as far apart as Albuquerque, N.M., and Galway, Ireland, have published stories about residents improperly disposing of equipment, especially gloves, at the end of shopping trips and other “essential” journeys outside their homes. This has spurred medical professionals to release official guidelines about the disposal of such equipment.
Those who choose to wear gloves in public should dispose of them immediately upon entering their vehicles or homes by removing them, starting at the wrist and peeling down to turn them inside-out, and tossing them into a plastic-lined trash receptacle. People may choose to keep a plastic trash bag in their vehicle for that purpose. They are also advised to wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds as soon as possible after removing gloves.
The reason is obvious. If you don’t pick up your gloves or single-use mask, someone else will have to, which risks potentially spreading the virus.
