Coronavirus: Disposable gloves, masks littering grocery store parking lots in Southern California

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- It wasn't hard to find discarded gloves and masks at grocery store parking lots in Southern California amid the coronavirus pandemic.

This was upsetting to some of the people ABC7 talked to on Tuesday.

Tanya Mack tells us it's "disheartening to see. Somebody has to pick that up," referring to discarded disposable gloves and masks.

"It's ridiculous because it's hard to find those in the store, so they're just throwing them out," said Cherra Mack, who saw the trash in the parking lot where she shops.

It's nice to see people are taking precautions, but remember, somebody has to pick the trash up, risking their own health.

Rudy Galiani works at a Southern California supermarket.

"I notice a lot of stuff when people use the gloves, they throw it back in the basket. I pick up all the germs," he said.

He's right.

Dr. John de Beixedon explains.

"Whether or not there are viral particles on the glove or not, we in California don't like people who litter and we want that in an appropriate receptacle," he said.

So instead of tossing them at your neighborhood parking lot, Kyle Wescot, who's a nurse, showed ABC7 how to get more uses out of your disposable gloves.

First, use sanitizer.

"You can see just with the temperature, they evaporate very quickly and now this has got a little more life in it. It's sterile, you know, not fully sterile, but it's clean," said Wescot.

"Sanitize them before you take them off, and dispose of them in the trash., and don't leave them on the ground," said Mandy Slater.

And we leave you with this friendly advice from Sandy Masone:

"Keep a little paper bag in your car, throw the stuff in it. Throw it in your garbage when you get home. Life will be better. And then after all this disease is over, maybe you'll still follow the rules."