The pandemic brought about by the COVID-19 crisis has led to a significant increase in hazardous and medical waste. It is essential to ensure the final disposal and safe handling of waste to protect the environment and human health. No one can disregard the dangers of improper waste management. Effective strategies must be in place to prevent more crises from emerging due to the coronavirus problem.
Medical Waste Dangers of COVID-19
Biomedical research and healthcare laboratories, as well as medical facilities, generate waste. Hospitals produce more waste by volume, but they account for a small fraction of the total sources.
Categories of Healthcare Waste
- Pathological waste
- Sharps waste
- Other infectious waste
- Hazardous chemical waste
- Radioactive waste
- Pharmaceutical waste
- General waste
Infectious waste may contain pathogens that can cause other diseases in their hosts. Some essay writing service reviews mention that improper disposal and treatment can cause adverse hazards in transmitting secondary diseases because of exposures of agents like patients, healthcare workers, waste workers, and waste pickers. Generally, it also affects the community, and without proper pollution control, there is exposure to toxic contaminants in the form of ash and air emissions.
Most Dangerous Medical Waste Categories
The best essay writing services point out the risk level of a specific waste category will depend on its nature and the human vulnerability in a community. Susceptibility relies on exposure, adaptive capacity, and sensitivity. Dangerous waste may not result in disastrous and immediate consequences to some individuals but a systemic effect on millions of people.
For instance, plastic medical waste releases carcinogens if burned. Mercury can accumulate in the surroundings and affect humans through their food supply. The community determines the technologies used for decontamination or destructions. However, some technologies may be efficient if the agencies monitor and have legal oversight of the issue. Improper equipment maintenance can also be a hazard risk.
Medical Waste Management Changes Due to COVID-19
Because there is not much data available, national, municipal, and institutional levels must keep a record to better prepare for the future. Medical facilities and households contribute to the surge in the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). There is no proper collection, and many of these masks end up in unmanaged dumpsites for open burning.
According to the college paper writing service, healthcare facilities produce up to 90% of non-risk trash, and this value is the same as the amount of household waste. Segregation is an essential element of efficient waste management to reduce hazardous and infectious trash volumes for specialized treatment.
Proper healthcare waste management includes the following elements:
- Waste classification
- Containerization
- Minimization
- Labeling
- Color-coding
- Transport
- Handling
- Treatment
- Storage
- Final disposal
The maintenance of such systems needs planning, monitoring, continuous training, budgeting, evaluation, record keeping, and documentation.
Environmental Impact of the COVID-19 Crisis on Medical Waste Management
Although it is too soon to understand the extent or nature of the pandemic effects on the environment, some temporary impacts are positive and evident. The cheap assignment writing service uk reported that carbon emissions from fossil fuel burning might fall by 5% or 2.5 billion tons. If the computations are correct, it will be the largest decrease in demand in history. Some places are experiencing a dramatic improvement in air quality.
Short-Term Alternative Methods for Waste Management
There are traditional ways to deal with COVID-19-related waste. If such management systems become overloaded or unavailable, some temporary adjustments can protect people handling, such as waste and the current municipal facilities.
It is vital to recognize the hard work of waste workers because they ensure continuous delivery of services. They also implement the relevant changes during disasters and emergencies. An excellent source of information is the International Solid Waste Management Association.
New technologies and producer responsibility schemes are already in place. Involving the manufacturers in waste disposal should not be the only option because disposition is the user’s responsibility. Shifting the liability to the only manufacturers will not solve the disposal challenges. According to a write my essay for me company, some countries use the extended producer responsibility concept in some waste types. These states are experiencing success at varying levels.
Inventory
Optimizing the use and adoption of stopgap solutions is the responsibility of governments. They need to assess their national waste management capacity and act on the influx of trash and contamination that may reach the seas and oceans.
Sort, Segregate, and Store (3S)
Segregation of COVID-19 waste from the general medical volumes is essential at the point of generation. Trash storage is vital for assessing waste volumes and the progression in coming up with the right solution.
Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM)
The cooperation of countries with UNEP is vital in studying the effects of cleaning and disinfectant solutions to control the coronavirus transmission on a broader environment with the appropriate link to the emerging policy issues of SAICM.
Improper waste management of businesses and households can increase the number of waste materials by about 50%. Segregation of recyclables can prevent system failure.
Long-Term Response to Pandemic Waste
Legislation
Countries need guidance on legislation and policies to ensure a stable institutional and legal basis for better response to future emergencies regarding waste management. Moreover, they can undertake clear measures to prevent a breakdown of systems in place.
Circular Economy
The COVID-19 pandemic increases the manufacture and use of personal and medical equipment that usually include containing and single-use resources such as cotton, metals, plastics, and electronic components. UNEP and the other countries can maximize the vicious cycle to promote the efficient use of single-use products.
Medical and Household Waste Management Strategies
With the surge in single-use and personal care product consumption, countries need more robust waste management systems, including segregation, collection, and management. People must have guidance on how to dispose of their used equipment safely.
Sustainability Assessment of Technologies, Best Available Technology, and Best Environmental Practices
Methodologies like the Sustainability Assessment of Technologies (SAT) assist the decision-makers in selecting the Best Available Technology (BAT) for fundamental disposal, source segregation, recovery of materials, or destruction of waste. It is essential to use and share the Best Environmental Practices (BEP) at the national level. The management of future effects from pandemics and disasters is uncomplicated and more environmentally reliable and under the Stockholm Convention.
Air Transport and Quality
Air quality affects environmental and human health. Countries recovering from the coronavirus pandemic can manage air pollution with the proper emission control and waste management solutions. They can also use other alternatives for electric transport and mobility.
New Directions for UNEP Due to COVID-19
The UN Environment Programme COVID-19 Response Building Blocks are evolving and will likely include:
- Block 1: Improvement to the humanitarian and medical emergency phase
- Block 2: Life-changing innovation for people and nature
- Block 3: Becoming aware of the environmental issues when providing fiscal stimulus packages
- Block 4: Revamping the environmental governance worldwide
UNEP will promote the environmental aspects of the UN framework on its socioeconomic COVID-19 response.
Recommendations for Healthcare Facilities and Countries for Strategic Preparation for Future Epidemics
Remind the people of the ongoing pandemic and that urgent measures must be in place to prepare, optimize, and adopt not only for the current development but for future outbreaks as well. Governments and medical facilities without enough waste management practices and plans can use the UNEP guide of technologies for implementation over a period.
Institutionalizing healthcare waste management systems may be hard but doable to cope with increases in medical waste due to disaster. The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed many lives, and with the surge of medical waste, it is essential to manage it properly to protect the environment and people.