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
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.