COVID-19 rapid tests don't belong in your recycling bin
COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) tests are finding their way into recycling bins across Ontario, and that’s bad news for recycling companies and the workers.
“For us, that material is no different than if we found a syringe on the line. It’s a biohazard. Whether the person who used the test tested positive for COVID or not, it contains material that could transmit disease,” says Francis Veilleux, president of the Bluewater Recycling Association.
Veilleux says they’ve seen plenty of rapid tests end up in the recycling loads brought in to their Huron Park plant, from over 20 Southwestern Ontario municipalities.
Every rapid test found results in the sorting line being shut down and strict infection protocols for disposal. He says it’s a huge waste of time and money.
“Every minute we’re down, it’s about a $300 cost. It’s not something we want to be doing all day long,” he says.
And if a rapid test makes it through their sorting line, it’s even a bigger deal.
“I can tell you right now, the site of one of those in our entire load means we will get the entire load rejected and that could affect our ability to recycle properly,” he says.
According to Veilleux, the proper way to dispose of a used rapid test or swabs, or other COVID-related personal protective equipment, is to double bag it and put it in your garbage.
“People think if it’s made of paper or plastic it’s automatically recyclable, and we can do some sort of miracle with it. That’s just not the case. In our facility, we cannot recycle those items. We don’t want to see them. They are a biohazard and we don’t want to spread them to our employees,” says Veilleux.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
NEW Iconic Canadian song turns 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Prince Harry, Meghan arrive in Nigeria to champion the Invictus Games and meet with wounded soldiers
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, arrived in Nigeria on Friday to champion the Invictus Games, which he founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans, among them Nigerian soldiers fighting a 14-year war against Islamic extremists.
Countries struggle to draft 'pandemic treaty' to avoid mistakes made during COVID
After the coronavirus pandemic triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns, upended economies and killed millions, leaders at the World Health Organization and worldwide vowed to do better in the future. Years later, countries are still struggling to come up with an agreed-upon plan for how the world might respond to the next global outbreak.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.