BUFFALO, N.Y. — A Niagara County woman noticed what she considered to be a disturbing sight during a recent shopping trip to Walmart in North Tonawanda.
There were gloves and masks left all over the parking lot.
Debi Civisca says she noticed instances where people were leaving the masks and gloves in shopping carts, or other times just throwing them on the ground before driving away.
"It just makes no sense to me. I just thought society was a little more smarter to that fact that you know this is dangerous. And you've used it, you've been in the store, you've used gloves, why are you throwing them outside your door, closing your door, starting your car, backing out and away you go and there it lays," she told 2 On Your Side's Karys Belger.
2 On Your Side visited other shopping locations for different stores and noticed similiar occurrences. Civisca said she was concerned that this could be a potential hazard for other shoppers and workers who are forced to clean up the litter.
"Now, I am hesitant to go out, I really am," she said.
"Just to see that, yeah it did make me think twice if I'm gonna do it again until we're allowed to go out again."
2 On Your Side reached out to various stores in the area to ask what measures they were taking.
A representative from Wegmans sent the following statement.
Unfortunately, we have seen Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) items being improperly disposed of in some of our store parking lots. While our Helping Hands employees are doing all they can to keep our lot clean, we ask our customers to use the receptacles outside our stores that have been provided for proper disposal of unwanted items, including PPE.
A representative from Tops Friendly Markets also responded to 2 On Your Side's inquiry with a statement. It read as follows.
Additional trash cans have been placed at the entrances of our stores and near the cart corrals so that customers can properly dispose of their trash, including masks and gloves. If customers do not properly dispose of their own trash,Tops associates will properly pick up and dispose of it.
