Rubbish removal is an indispensable component of housekeeping and maintenance. You need to collect and dispose of your household wastes regularly in order to free up space and keep your home sanitary.
Imagine your house being dominated by useless pieces of appliances, furniture, and other rubbish, that you end up lacking enough space for a new household item. Not to mention the accumulation of dust particles that can trigger allergic reactions and breathing complications. Furthermore, if you don’t discard your organic wastes immediately, they will give off an unpleasant smell that will circulate throughout your home. In turn, this odour can lure roaches and other pests to your house and carry diseases to your family.
Speaking of diseases, the COVID-19 pandemic has shaken the entire world at the beginning of 2020. It almost put everything to a halt. And without any exceptions, this disease continues to spread and put everyone at a heightened risk of infection, including those in first-world countries like Australia.
To learn more about COVID-19, its impacts, and how the rubbish removal industry can help contain the spread of the disease.
The COVID-19 Crisis
What is COVID-19 and How Did It Start?
Coronavirus disease or COVID-19 is an infectious respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus. It originated in Wuhan City, China where the first cases of COVID-19, then identified as “2019 novel coronavirus” or “2019-nCoV,” were reported in December 2019. A few months later, COVID-19 became a global health challenge as the number of cases rapidly increased in various parts of the world.
In Australia, the first confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported towards the end of January 2020. After that, the number of COVID-19 cases in the country blew up, with at least a single new case reported daily. At present, the total number of cases in Australia is over 28.6 thousand. Nearly 1000 people already died of the virus and around 2000 are still active cases.
What are the Symptoms of COVID-19?
The symptoms of COVID-19 range from mild to severe, and they gradually appear 2-14 days after contracting the virus. These symptoms usually include, but are not limited to:
- Fever, usually with chills
- Cough
- Headache
- Breathing difficulty
- Fatigue
- Body pain and sore muscles
- Loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhoea
Unlike the flu, COVID-19 infection has a higher chance of becoming severe and critical. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 15% of COVID-19 cases are severe, and 5% are critical. People with severe complications require oxygen, while those under critical conditions require ventilation to be able to breathe.
Hence, the coronavirus disease is more life-threatening than the influenza. Data shows that the mortality rate of COVID-19 infection (around 3-4%) is also higher than that of the flu (less than 0.1%).
Although everyone is at risk of COVID-19, older adults are at a higher risk of infection. Immunocompromised individuals and people with severe underlying medical conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, lung ailments, diabetes, and cancer can develop more serious complications from the novel coronavirus.
How does COVID-19 Spread?
The mode of transmission of the coronavirus is via respiratory droplets. When an infected person coughs, sneezes, talks, or simply exhales, the virus can be passed on to other people when the droplets enter their mouth, nose, and eyes. That’s why social distancing and wearing protective gear like masks and face shields are critical practices that everyone should employ when going out.
Besides direct contact, droplets can also land on surfaces, and the virus can survive for weeks. As a result, anyone touching that surface can be infected by the novel coronavirus when they touch their mouth, nose, or eyes.
Why did COVID-19 become a Global Health Crisis?
The whole world was threatened by the fact that the causative agent of COVID-19 is a newly discovered coronavirus. As such, health professionals and practitioners have little to no idea about the virus, the disease, and how to treat it.
What’s more alarming is the rapid transmission of the novel coronavirus around the world. Since 8 out of 10 COVID-19 cases are mild or asymptomatic, a lot of people may not realise that they have been infected and are carriers of the virus. This results in the increasing number of COVID-19 cases as well as the growing death rates globally.
Less Mobility for Everyone
The New Normal
The life-threatening symptoms and consequences of COVID-19 almost placed the whole world to a halt. A lot were hesitant to go out and conduct their daily transactions such as go to work or school, meet with friends, and buy groceries.
On top of that, the Australian government imposed a nationwide lockdown on March 20, 2020 as a measure to control and reduce the transmission of the coronavirus disease. Other states and territories in the country also closed their borders for the same reasons. During this lockdown period, people were strictly prohibited to leave their houses, unless for important matters, and this does not include going to school or work.
This limited mobility brought about by the COVID-19 outbreak altered everyone’s normal day-to-day life. As a result, the entire world has to deal with every day under the new normal system. Under this system, you can only go outside when necessary and you need to follow safety protocols such as social distancing and wearing of face masks and shields.
Socio-economic Impacts of COVID-19
The COVID-19 outbreak not only challenged our existing healthcare systems, but also severely devastated the social and economic aspects of our country. Because many people cannot go out, social gatherings, events, and services were cancelled or postponed. Even meeting with peers and family members became a challenge.
Furthermore, only the essential services and businesses were allowed to operate during the pandemic. A lot of national and international businesses suffered significant losses. Meanwhile, the production, supply, and distribution of essential products and goods were also disrupted as a result of the limited economic mobility. As many businesses and industries closed and remained nonoperational, the national economy slowly declined.
Rubbish in Our Properties Keep Piling Up
One would think that we would generate lesser rubbish because many of us are in a stay-at-home circumstance. In reality, the opposite is happening.
Increased Rubbish Generation During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Despite the limited mobility of people during the COVID-19 lockdown, we have generated more household wastes than we did before. Just two months into the pandemic, a remarkable 10% growth in the waste and recycling volumes in the country has been noted. According to ABC News, the amount generated during the COVID-19 outbreak can be compared to that during the holiday seasons.
Before the outbreak of the coronavirus disease, Australia was already struggling with its rubbish generation and management. And when COVID-19 struck, our rubbish problems were brought to greater heights as the outbreak opened up a new set of complications.
Increase of single-use PPEs
The use of face masks, face shields, gloves, sanitary wipes and other protective equipment became rampant as the coronavirus disease ensued. While there are reusable items available in the market, the majority of the people still opt to use disposable ones. There is a remarkable increase in the number of face masks and gloves disposed of in our landfills. Not to mention that these PPEs are commonly found littered on the streets and in waterways across the country.
Surge in Food Deliveries and Take-out
Besides these, single-use food take-out containers and cutlery are also on the rise as countless consumers order restaurant take outs and deliveries. This patronage of single-use items during the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the increasing amount of discarded household rubbish in the country.
Popularity of Online Shopping
Many Australians turn to online shopping as a coping mechanism against the boredom and anxiety brought about by being locked down at home for a long time. These products come in layers of packaging materials such as cardboards, plastics, and bubble wraps that are simply discarded after opening. As a result, tonnes of these packaging items pile up in Australian homes and end up in landfills.
House Improvements
During the lockdown period, there was also an increase in home renovation projects. Homeowners took the generous amount of time they have at home to do home maintenance and improvements. Meanwhile, others found it fitting to use the time to declutter and get rid of household items they don’t use anymore. Thus, there was around a 50% increase in the amount of large household items collected in April 2020 compared to the same month in the previous year.
Private Collections
Private collections are defined as the leftover belongings of international workers and students who went back to their respective countries. Because of the COVID-19 outbreak and the Australian border restrictions, many foreigners were compelled to go back to their homelands. They cleared out their places but have intentionally left their unwanted possessions. Because of this, the city of Sydney recorded a 35% rise in private collections during the pandemic.
Illegal Dumping is Never a Solution
The household rubbish generation in the country reached an alarming volume during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. But that’s not entirely what’s alarming. Because of the piling up of waste, many Australians have resorted to illegal dumping to get rid of rubbish and free up space in their homes.
Lack of Options to Dispose Rubbish
One of the biggest rubbish problems during the COVID-19 lockdown period is the unavailability of waste disposal methods. Although some features of the waste and recycling industry are essential services, these services were also subject to limitations such as reduced manpower and pickup schedules. Inevitably, given the amount of household rubbish generated during the pandemic, household rubbish has piled up in Australian homes.
As if we have no other choice but to dump our rubbish items illegally on the streets. In Melbourne, the city council appealed to the residents to not discard their rubbish on the streets and instead use the provided transfer stations for their bulk rubbish. Moreover, curbside collections were operational during the pandemic, so households can still discard their rubbish regularly.
The Problems Associated with Illegal Dumping
Illegal dumping has been a serious problem in Australia. Every year, around 25,000 tonnes of illegally dumped wastes are collected by the NSW government. Clean-up of this massive volume of litter can cost millions of dollars, which could otherwise go to other productive government projects.
Before the outbreak, the government has set the goal to curtail illegal dumping in the state by at least 30% in 2020. However, the COVID-19 outbreak further aggravated the issue, deeming the objective unattainable. Many streets across the country were found to be littered by a plethora of useless and discarded household items including old mattresses, used furniture, and broken appliances. During the lockdown period, the amount of littered items in the country grew by 70%.
Risk of Coronavirus Transmission from Illegally Dumped Wastes
As mentioned earlier, the novel coronavirus can be passed on when a person touches an infected surface, and subsequently touches his/her eyes, nose, or mouth. When the respiratory droplets of an infected person lands on a surface, the virus can last for 28 days. Thus, it is highly possible for the transmission of the COVID-19 to happen while dealing with rubbish on the streets.
On this note, COVID-19 transmission will be much faster if there are plenty of illegally dumped wastes on the streets. Infected droplets can land on the surfaces of rubbish items such as old furniture, tables, couches, TVs, and mattresses. As a result, if these contaminated rubbish items are out on the streets, scavengers and waste handlers can easily get infected.
Why Should You Avoid Illegally Dumping Your Rubbish?
In the midst of a pandemic or not, you should never resort to illegal dumping. Illegal dumping is one of the improper waste management practices that exacerbates the rubbish problem in the country. It’s worse than littering because illegal dumping involves discarding bulk and large rubbish items on land or in water without the proper permits and approvals needed to do so.
Below are some other reasons why illegal dumping is bad:
- Illegally dumped waste on the street is unsightly and foul-smelling
- Illegal dumping pollutes our land and water bodies and degrades our natural resources
- It eliminates the chance of recyclable and reusable materials to be reprocessed
- It can harbour pests and diseases and harm the health of humans, animals, and plants
- Illegal dumping can introduce weeds
- It can cause fires and can endanger people’s lives by blocking emergency pathways
- Illegal dumping and littering are costly to clean up
- Illegal dumping sites degrade land and real estate value
How Professional Removalists Help in Facing the Covid-19 Crisis
The COVID-19 pandemic caused and aggravated a lot of problems in the country, including issues in our waste management. Because of the lockdown period, many of us are forced to work, study, and stay at home. This stay-at-home system prompts the increase in household rubbish generation in the country.
As our household waste piles up, council pickup services are finding it hard to collect the enormous amount of rubbish they have to deal with daily. The fact still remains that these curbside collections don’t include all types of rubbish like large furniture, white goods, electronics, and hazardous rubbish items. Moreover, the problem of illegal dumping in the country has worsened during the coronavirus outbreak.
As our household waste piles up, council pickup services are finding it hard to collect the enormous amount of rubbish they have to deal with daily. The fact still remains that these curbside collections don’t include all types of rubbish like large furniture, white goods, electronics, and hazardous rubbish items. Moreover, the problem of illegal dumping in the country has worsened during the coronavirus outbreak.
The Rubbish Removal Industry During the PandemicRubbish removal companies offer emergency rubbish removal services and special kerbside collection, among other services, that can help solve the As household rubbish piles up to a mountainous amount and it gets harder for us to dispose of our rubbish, rubbish removal companies play a crucial role in managing our wastes during the pandemic. In addition to the difficulties faced by curbside collection services, many recycling centres, donation drop-off points, and MRFs are also non-operational during the lockdown period. This further intensifies the role that rubbish removal companies have to play during the COVID-19 crisis.
Rubbish removal companies offer household rubbish removal, collect the illegally dumped rubbish on your street, to preand special kerbside pick-up which are practical and in-demand nowadays. These services can help curtail the problem of piling household rubbish and illegal dumping in the country that has been triggered by the COVID-19 crisis. Moreover, rubbish removal companies can also help prevent the transmission of disease-causing viruses and bacteria through their safe methods of handling and disposal of rubbish.
Safety in Handling Waste
Expert rubbish removalists know very well that looking out for one’s own safety and the safety of the clients are crucial when dealing with household waste. A lot of rubbish items, such as broken glass, sharp objects, harmful chemicals, and contaminated rubbish items are dangerous. That’s why they always wear PPEs such as gloves, face masks, and eye protection whenever they work with rubbish.
During the COVID-19 outbreak, rubbish removalists have to strengthen their safety protocols to not only keep themselves protected from dangerous rubbish items, but also from the coronavirus disease. Aside from the aforementioned PPEs, they also have to wear face shields and other protective equipment to prevent themselves from getting infected. Furthermore, they must also abide by the social distancing protocols while working to minimise the transmission of the disease.
Expertise in Dealing with COVID-19 Contaminated Rubbish
In addition to general household rubbish, professional rubbish removalists also have to deal with the large amount of medical waste we generate. Soiled and infected wastes such as items used to treat and take care of COVID-19 patients balloons as the number of cases increase. This rise in healthcare wastes introduces new challenges in ensuring the safety of rubbish removalists while on the job.
Nonetheless, as experts in the field, rubbish removalists have the proper training and skills to safely deal with these contaminated and infectious rubbish. They also know the proper protocols in handling medical waste materials to ensure community safety as well as environmental health. Furthermore, expert rubbish removalists also have the license to transport and dispose of these medical wastes properly.
Ensure the Safety of Your Family
Rubbish piling up inside your home is not ideal for the safety of your family. Rubbish can cause accidents such as slipping and tripping. Dust can also accumulate when you have mountains of unused electronics, furniture, and other rubbish household items in your home. This can trigger allergies and cause breathing problems for your family.
Additionally, rubbish can also lure unwanted pests such as rats, mice, flies, and cockroaches into your home. They can seek refuge in the crevices of your hard rubbish and scour throughout your home for food and water, thereby making your house unhygienic and unsanitary. Furthermore, pests can also harbour diseases. Letting them inside your home can get your family sick and infected.
Waste Management and Sustainability
Another reason why rubbish removal services are extremely important nowadays is because they are more sustainable and efficient in handling waste properly. Even before the outbreak of the disease, professional rubbish removalists deal with rubbish in the most environment-friendly manner. After collecting virtually all kinds of waste and segregating them, they recycle as much as possible and dispose of the rest in landfills.
Fast and Efficient Rubbish Removal
If you’re one of the people who turn to online shopping, decluttering, and household renovations to pass time during the lockdown period, chances are that you have plenty of rubbish piling up inside your house. Because this amount of rubbish can no longer be accommodated by council pickups, you will need the help of rubbish removal companies to deal with your household waste.
Hiring a rubbish removal company is the fastest and most convenient way to deal with all the rubbish that have accumulated inside your house. Unlike council pickups with fixed collection schedules, rubbish removal companies are available 24/7. You can book with them for your emergency rubbish removal needs, and they will be at your place within the hour, ready to collect and haul away your rubbish within the same day.
Moreover, rubbish removal companies don’t have limitations in the type and size of rubbish they will collect. They can dispose of your large and bulky household items including broken appliances, electronics, sofas, and furniture. They can also deal with medical wastes and hazardous rubbish.
Conclusion
As our rubbish generation continues to grow because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we will need everyone’s participation to successfully manage our waste problems. As consumers, we have the most crucial role to play in minimising the amount of household waste we generate. More than ever, now is the time to make smart consumer decisions when purchasing and dealing with various activities at home.
The following are some of the things you can do during the COVID-19 crisis to help curtail the growing challenges in our waste management systems.
Avoid Activities that Produce A Lot of Waste
During the lockdown period, we did a lot of activities such as panic buying, online shopping, home renovations, and house decluttering that generate tonnes of rubbish. Thus, if we want to minimise the amount of waste we produce, we can begin by avoiding these wasteful activities and turn to productive alternatives that will generate less waste, like attending online seminars, watching movies, and reading books.
Opt for Reusable PPEs
Instead of purchasing disposable items such as face masks and gloves, use reusable PPEs to protect yourself from the coronavirus and other disease. You just have to wash and disinfect them after every use, and they can last for a long time. This way, you can help reduce the amount of disposable PPEs that are slowly filling our landfill spaces.
Recycle
The recycling industry in the country has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many recycling facilities and centres closed, so recycling in the country slowed down. However, this should not discourage you from segregating and recycling your rubbish. In fact, you need to recycle more today because our landfills are gradually reaching their maximum capacity due to our increasing rubbish generation.
Avoid Illegal Dumping
Littering and illegal dumping are not the solutions to your household rubbish problems. These improper waste disposal practices will instead aggravate the waste and recycling crisis in the country. If you need to dispose of a large amount of your household rubbish, you can rent a dumpster or contact a reliable rubbish removal company to help you discard your waste.
Choose the Right Rubbish Removal Company
If you want to make smart consumer choices, one of the effortless thing you can do is to pick the right and most reliable rubbish removal company out there to help you manage and get rid of your household rubbish. Especially during these trying times, it is crucial that your service provider knows how to efficiently, sustainably, and safely handle all sorts of waste to prevent the transmission of the coronavirus disease, and well as the piling up of rubbish at home.
Rubbish removal companies can help you deal with the piles of household rubbish you have generated during the COVID-19 crisis. They can also deal with the mountains of illegally dumped wastes on the streets of the country. More importantly, aside from collecting and discarding the tonnes of rubbish we generate, rubbish removal companies also recycle, process, and dispose of our waste in the safest and most sustainable manner.
Thus, we can consider professional rubbish removalists the modern heroes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their expertise in handling rubbish and commitment to provide rubbish removal services are extremely commendable. Moreover, their service is also of utmost importance and practicality, especially now that we’re both in the midst of a pandemic and a waste crisis.
