LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- It’s a disgusting problem brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic: used masks, wipes and gloves are the newest form of litter nationwide.
Monday afternoon, during drives through parking lots of local Walmart, Target and Kroger stores, WDRB News spotted the discarded PPE almost everywhere.
Lorri Roberts, with Brightside, the volunteer group that beautifies Louisville, has seen enough social media posts to know there’s a trend.
“It’s not a problem that’s unsolvable. It’s just a problem that we need to pay attention to," she said. “We’re seeing people post about PPE around convenience stores and around grocery stores.”
A discarded mask in the Kroger parking lot in Clifton. (WDRB News)
The Louisville Waste District says the city’s litter has gone from bad to worse with the noticeable problem of used masks, gloves, and wipes.
“These items are being used to protect people from possible COVID-19 contamination, but when they’re not disposed of properly there is a risk of spreading the virus,” the district wrote in a recent post.
Roberts encourages PPE-users to take extra steps to a trash can or store a trash bag in their car to discard the used equipment.
“And we completely understand that people don’t want to take that with them in their cars," she said, "but at the same time, if you take it off appropriately and you keep a trash bag in your car, we can do our part individually to make sure that that doesn’t get into the ecosystem and into our environment."
A discarded glove in the Kroger parking lot in Clifton. (WDRB News)
While Roberts said the city continues to clean up litter where it can, Brightside’s big volunteer-driven spring clean-ups have been postponed.
“Obviously, that’s not safe in the current environment," she said.
But there is another answer. Brightside is giving away supplies, such as bags and safety gloves, and encouraging families to clean up litter near their neighborhoods.
A discarded mask lodged in a rose bush bordering the Target parking lot in West Buechel. (WDRB News)
“We’re encouraging them to go out, and while they’re walking around their neighborhoods and, you know, taking advantage of that sunshine, to pick up trash while they’re doing it," said Roberts.
You can contact Brightside at (502) 574-2613 or Brightside@louisvilleky.gov to arrange a pick-up of those supplies. Find more information on Brightside's website at this link.
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