During this challenging period due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the MED-InA team has adapted its approach to going on with its activities while respecting the World Health Organization (WHO) ‘s recommendations.
Cooperation, coordination and collaboration are even more significant for our project in this moment of physical social distancing. Therefore most of the MED-InA partners have adopted, when it was possible, a smart-working approach. In this way, we can stay in touch and continue the work done so far by enriching it with the data recently collected in our three pilot territories.

The MED-InA project addresses a special thank to all the people on the frontline of the crisis, health professionals as well as those maintaining vital services running.
The waste management sector is one of such services.

However, employees of the sector may be exposed to risk while they are an essential public service in the fight to beat Covid-19 according to the UN Environment Programme.Thus the role of citizens in managing their household waste appears here essential. We should all be aware that we are part of a whole and that our responsibility may impact the work, the health, the well-being of others.

We want to share with you some recommendations about household waste management:

• Reduce, reduce and reduce waste: avoid food waste by discovering new recipes, avoid overpacked products, be creative and reuse old fabrics, bins, bottles, and so on. This will help avoid the saturation of waste treatment plants.
• Sort, sort and sort waste: when sorting centers and civic amenity sites are closed or not running, keep your waste temporarily at home. 
• Stay informed of your municipal waste management system and its possible adaptations due to the outbreak.
• Be careful with sensitive waste which may be contaminated such as face masks, gloves and tissues. They must be packed in a single waste bag duly closed; then place the first bag in a second waste bag and store the double bag for 24 hours (indications may change according to national governments and municipalities); the waste bags should go into the unsorted garbage.

Municipalities and citizens around the Mediterranean and elsewhere in the world must commit to solidarity, resilience and responsibility to fight the Covid-19 outbreak. And this comes with a sound household waste management.

Keep your good habits, stay home and stay safe!