Too Many Disposable Gloves Are Ending Up On Ground Outside Stores During COVID-19 Pandemic

EVERGREEN PARK, Ill. (CBS) -- Some people are wearing gloves to protect themselves while they shop during the coronavirus pandemic – but the problem is that upon leaving the store, they're tossing those gloves right on the ground.

CBS 2's Jermont Terry was looking for answers Wednesday night about whether doing so might be a health hazard.

As we deal with the new normal of social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told people to protect themselves. Many have turned to disposable gloves as one form of protection – some of them blue, others purple, others still clear.

Those gloves are not supposed to be disposed in on lawns, or on the curb. But that is exactly what is happening, and it is capturing everyone's attention.

"When, I see these on the ground, I actually think, how disgusting," one woman said in a social media video. "I've actually been seeing these as I'm in large parking lots of large stores."

The gloves are mostly being discarded outside essential businesses such as grocery stores. People are doing their best not to bring the virus home, but as they leave the stores, they are making a huge area.

"They don't know to use them properly, and they definitely don't understand how to dispose of them properly," the social media user said.

Remember, the National Institutes of Health said the virus can live on certain surfaces for 24 hours – and recent research shows it can survive on plastic anywhere from two to three days.

So when people are throwing the gloves on the ground, if they came in contact with the virus, the person picking the gloves up could become susceptible.

So when you're done with your disposable gloves, here's a tip – carry a Ziploc bag, and when you roll off your gloves, throw them inside. Then, wait until you see a garbage can to toss them into.

It is stopping the spread, and keeping the neighborhood clean.