COVID-19’s Impact on Waste Management

Sarah Borzo, Education and Outreach Coordinator for Metro Waste Authority, describes how COVID-19 has impacted waste management.

Location

Metro Waste Authority Environmental Learning Center, Runnells, Iowa

Possible Guiding, Compelling and/or Anchoring Questions

How has pandemic impacted the environment?
Are there health risks or concerns with PPE being disposed of into the waste stream?
What can we learn from this experience and change in preparation for possible future pandemics?

Locate local, regional and global data to evaluate changes in water quality, air quality and temperature.
Identify waste management practices and how those practices were impacted with the design of better methods.
Identify and evaluate human behaviors, and develop an educational plan* to promote safe disposal of PPE (*Students could create podcasts, brochures, public service announcements, etc.).

Environmental effects of COVID-19: This literature review explores the positive and negative environmental impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Environmental Toll of Fighting COVID-19: This article, published in John Hopkins Magazine, discusses how to balance personal protection from COVID-19 with environmental responsibility.
COVID-19 Pandemic and Environmental Health: Effects and the Immediate Need for a Concise Risk Analysis: This article discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic may be associated with significant environmental health hazards and the need for continual risk analysis and management from all relevant stakeholders.
Iowa's Air Quality: This tool provides data from the Iowa DNR for air quality and water quality.

HS-ESS3-4:

Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems

Submitted by Karla St. John and Amber Fairbanks as part of their Iowa STEM Teacher Externship experience at Iowa PBS.

Location and information courtesy of Metro Waste Authority.

Media produced by Iowa PBS.