Healthcare Waste

EcoHealth Nursing Alliance (EHNA)

WHO ARE WE?

We, the EcoHealth Nursing Alliance (EHNA), are part of a dynamic coalition of future nurses dedicated to advancing eco-friendly practices within healthcare. We are committed to advancing sustainable healthcare practices through education, policy advocacy, research, community engagement, and global collaboration. By offering resources, training, and guidance, we support our fellow nurses in integrating environmentally responsible practices into their work and advocating for policies that prioritize sustainability and waste reduction. Additionally, we actively participate in research and innovation, enhancing our understanding of how environmental factors impact human health outcomes. Through partnerships with diverse stakeholders, we aim to contribute to a healthier and more sustainable future, where healthcare not only enhances patient well-being but also protects the health of our planet.

Healthcare Waste Management

Healthcare waste management refers to the proper handling, collection, transportation, treatment, and disposal of waste generated by healthcare facilities such as hospitals, clinics, and laboratories. This includes measures to ensure the safe and environmentally friendly management of various types of waste produced during medical activities to prevent risks to human health and the environment.

Statistics

Worldwide, an estimated 16 billion injections are administered every year. Not all needles and syringes are disposed of safely, creating a risk of injury and infection and opportunities for reuse.

Injections with contaminated needles and syringes in low- and middle-income countries have reduced substantially in recent years, partly due to efforts to reduce reuse of injection devices. Despite this progress, in 2010, unsafe injections were still responsible for as many as 33 800 new HIV infections, 1.7 million hepatitis B infections and 315 000 hepatitis C infections

In 2015, a joint WHO/UNICEF assessment found that just over half (58%) of sampled facilities from 24 countries had adequate systems in place for the safe disposal of health care waste.

Factors that affect Healthcare Waste Management

Lack of awareness about the health hazards related to healthcare waste
Inadequate training in proper waste management
Absence of waste management and disposal systems
Insufficient financial and human resources and the low priority given to the topic
Many countries either do not have appropriate regulations or do not enforce them.

Person's at Risk

Healthcare staff (doctors, nurse, health care ancillaries, hospital maintenance personnel)
Patients, their relatives, visitors, and caregivers
Personnel/ Workers in support services such as laundries and waste handling
Workers in waste disposal facilities (e.g. treatment facilities, landfills)
Scavengers (informal waste recyclers)
General public

HEALTHCARE WASTE MANAGEMENT FOR DIFFERENT CATEGORIES

INFECTIOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT

Separate, contain, treat, and dispose of infectious waste using color-coded containers, leak-proof containment, pathogen-inactivating methods, and proper disposal methods.

HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT

Label, store, handle, and dispose of hazardous waste safely, utilizing appropriate symbols, designated storage areas, personal protective equipment, and authorized disposal facilities.

SHARPS WASTE MANAGEMENT

Safely handle, collect, transport, and dispose of sharps waste using puncture-resistant containers, accessible collection points, secure transportation, and methods to render sharps safe before final disposal.

RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT

Segregate, shield, monitor, and dispose of radioactive waste appropriately, separating it, storing it in shielded containers, implementing radiation monitoring, and using licensed disposal facilities.

PHARMACEUTICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT

Control inventory, segregate, and dispose of pharmaceutical waste following manufacturer instructions, monitoring usage, preventing contamination, and utilizing disposal methods such as incineration or reverse distribution programs.

GENERAL WASTE MANAGEMENT

Segregate, recycle, minimize, and dispose of general waste properly, separating it from hazardous or infectious waste, implementing recycling programs, encouraging waste reduction initiatives, and disposing of waste in compliance with regulations.

Healthcare Waste Management adversely affects the environment through contamination of water sources from untreated waste in landfills, release of toxic chemicals and pathogens, improper handling of chemical disinfectants, incineration pollutants, illegal dumping leading to human health hazards and environmental pollution, emission of harmful gases from open-air storage, and depletion of resources due to prevalent use of single-use plastics which decompose into microplastics acting as disease vectors.

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References:

World Health Organization: WHO. (2018, February 8). Health-care waste. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/health-care-waste

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