Following the onslaught of Typhoon Ompong (international name: Mangkhut), which according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, affected more than half a million people, a waste and pollution watch group shares ecological and precautionary tips that can help families clean up the damage caused by the recent natural disaster.
“Cleaning up after a storm has passed is no easy task,” said EcoWaste Coalition zero waste campaigner Daniel Alejandre. “Depending on the extent of Ompong’s impact on your home, cleaning chores can be daunting and dangerous, too.”
The group encourages families to clean up in a way that will not exacerbate the garbage disposal problem in affected communities. EcoWaste Coalition, Alejandre said, has gathered some tips, which, if carried out, will cut waste and toxic exposure, protect human health, as well as conserve resources.
“Consciously avoiding the generation of more garbage during cleanup efforts will reduce the volume of rubbish sent to disposal sites such as dumps and landfills, which sadly are often located in environmentally critical areas, including watershed,” emphasized community leader Noli Abinales.
Abinales is adviser to Buklod Tao, a community organization based in disaster-prone San Mateo, Rizal and a board member of the EcoWaste Coalition.
The following 13 eco-tips, the EcoWaste Coalition stressed, is not an exhaustive list as the group urged Ompong-impacted families to observe other safety precautions as they tidy up the mess left by the typhoon.
Ecological post-typhoon cleanup tips:
1. Wear protective gloves and boots while cleaning as protection against animal bites, bruises, cuts, and waterborne diseases such as leptospirosis.
2. Use “free” water such as rainwater and grey water from laundry tubs, washing machines, showers, and sinks to remove silt left behind after the flooding. Scrub with soap and water, and then rinse thoroughly.
3. Use natural cleaning products such as vinegar and water solution to remove dirt and grime from floors, walls, kitchen, and toilet.
4. Wipe glass windows using a damp newspaper (considered a “brown composting material”), which can be shredded after use for composting. If needed, create a homemade non-toxic glass cleaner made out of vinegar and water.
5. Clean furniture and other stuff that have been submerged in floodwater with hot soapy water and let them dry under the sun.
6. Fix and reuse flood-soaked furnishings and other typhoon-affected items including blown-off roofing materials.
7. Create non-toxic disinfectant for things contaminated by floodwater by mixing equal amounts of white vinegar and water. The mixture can be put in a spray bottle for easy application.
8. Wash flood-drenched clothes and linens separately from uncontaminated ones.
9. Reduce the volume of post-typhoon discards requiring disposal by safely repairing, reusing, repurposing, and recycling them as much as possible; clean and use salvaged and reclaimed materials.
10. Refrain from burning or dumping fallen leaves and twigs and other biodegradable debris; compost them instead.
11. Do not mix mercury-containing busted lamps and other hazardous items, including broken TVs and other e-wastes, with regular household discards as such wastes require special handling and disposal due to their toxic content.
12. Remove all trash that can collect and hold water where Aedes aegypti mosquitoes can lay their eggs.
13. If so required, give damaged parts of your home a fresh coat of certified lead-safe paint.