Hospital Solid Waste Research Articles

Treatment of Bottom Ash Medical Waste (BAMW) from Hospital Infectious Waste into Paving Block Products

Hospital solid waste is infectious waste, so it is included in the category of hazardous and toxic waste. One method of processing hospital solid waste is by burning it in an incinerator. The result of burning B3 waste at high temperatures is ash or known as bottom ash medical waste (BAMW). Ash from hospital waste processing is included in hazardous and toxic materials, so it needs to be handled properly. This study aims to process BAMW using the solidification/stabilization method. The BAMW processing product is paving blocks. The study was conducted by varying the composition of paving blocks. The variations carried out were the percentage of BAMW and its particle size. In addition, a Total Organic Carbon (TOC) level test was carried out on the water used to soak the paving blocks after being stored for 27 days. The results of the study showed that the higher the percentage of BAMW, the lower the compressive strength of the paving blocks, while the ability to absorb water and wear increased. The size of the BAMW particles also affects the quality of the paving blocks. The smaller the particle size, the better the quality of the paving blocks. Higher compressive strength indicates better quality of the paving blocks. The results of the analysis of the water used to soak the paving blocks showed that the TOC concentration was higher if the compressive strength decreased. BAMW can be used as an additional material for making paving blocks, but the composition should not be large.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Health Care Institutions and their Staff Involved in Hospital Solid Waste Management

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Health Care Institutions and their Staff Involved in Hospital Solid Waste Management

Generation rate of hospital solid waste from different services: A case study in the province of Bagua, northern Peru

The objective of this research was to evaluate the unit generation rate of solid hospital waste at the Gustavo Lanatta Lujan Bagua Support Hospital (HAB). The calculations were based on the weights of hospital waste disposed periodically to the biosafety cell located 7 km from the city of Bagua since 2015. Nineteen services were identified and grouped into three areas: hospitalization area, emergency area and gynecology area, studied according to the group classification of Peruvian regulations. The results show that 92.77 kg/day-1 are generated, 62.26 % are biocontaminated waste, 26.45 % are common waste, 7.7 % are sharp-sharp waste and 3.6 % are special waste. It was also found that only 73.56 % is disposed of in the hospital's biosafety cell. In this sense, this study will contribute to promote the reduction of the entry of hazardous substances into the stream of an adequate waste management and save workers and the environment in the Amazon Region. Therefore, awareness should be raised at all levels of society through various means of communication and education, so that the risks of spreading health hazards can be minimized by improving hospital waste management. In addition, healthcare waste management should be implemented, taking into account the parameters to be monitored, the economic resources to be managed and the national plans for healthcare waste.

A comprehensive protocol for evaluating health, safety, and environmental risks of hospital solid waste through FMEA technique

This protocol outlines a comprehensive approach to evaluating hospital solid waste levels and assessing associated health, safety, and environmental (HSE) risks using the Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) methodology. The study focuses on Imam Khomeini Hospital (RA) and employs both quantitative and qualitative methods. Over a 3-month period, waste production and potential risks are assessed, with specific attention to household, infectious, medicinal, and sharps waste. Through FMEA, potential failure modes and associated risks in waste management sectors are identified, enabling targeted interventions for risk mitigation. The protocol emphasizes the importance of aligning waste management practices with international standards and highlights the need for comprehensive training, awareness campaigns, and effective waste management methods to ensure the safety and environmental responsibility of hospital waste management practices

Solid waste characteristics and management strategies at ST Theresa (STT) and Holy Cross (HC) hospitals in Chirumanzu rural District, Zimbabwe

AbstractManagement of solid waste from rural hospitals is among major problems affecting developing countries. This is mostly attributed to inadequate data related to quantity and quality of hospital solid waste. Similarly, information related to rural hospital solid waste characteristics and management is limited in Zimbabwe. However, SDGs complemented by Zimbabwe Vision 2030, NDS 1 advocates for sustainable solid waste management. Hence, enough data related to characteristics of solid waste from rural hospitals are required to attain sustainability. This research focuses on hospital solid waste characteristics and management strategies at STT and HC rural hospitals. Descriptive cross sectional research design which triangulates qualitative and quantitative paradigms was utilized. Interviews, observations, questionnaires were used to collect data. Quantitative data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences whereas qualitative data were subjected to content analysis. Solid waste generated at STT encompasses non-hazardous (77.35%), hazardous waste (22.65%). At HC solid waste consists of non-hazardous (79%) and hazardous waste (21%). Respondents at STT (70.4%) and HC (72.7%) noted that solid waste was increasing. Solid waste was increasing due to various factors namely high use of disposable materials at HC (35.1%), STT (42.5%) and increase of patients at HC (30%) and STT (29.7%). Solid waste was indiscriminately stored in various types of containers although pedal operated bins and sharp containers were highly used at STT (72.4%) and HC (69.1%). Waste receptacles were transported to disposal sites using wheelbarrows and manual handling. Open pits and burning were among disposal strategies but incineration was regarded as the golden approach at STT (44.8%) and HC (41.8%). Inappropriate hospital solid waste management was due to shortage of finance at STT (38.1%) and HC (30.9%) and unawareness among health workers. Although it was worsened by lack of all stakeholder participation at STT (79.0%) and HC (76.4%). Consequently, the study recommended application of strategies which support circular economy, integrated approach, raising awareness of health workers and provision of enough resources to rural hospitals.

A review towards developing a hierarchical model for sustainable hospital solid waste management in rural areas of Zimbabwe.

Management of solid waste from rural hospitals is amongst problems affecting Zimbabwe due to diseases, population, and hospital increase. Solid waste from rural hospitals is receiving little attention translating to environmental health problems. Therefore, 101 secondary sources were used to write a paper aiming to proffer a hierarchical model to achieve sustainable solid waste management at rural hospitals. Rural hospitals' solid waste encompasses electronic waste, sharps, pharmaceutical, pathological, radioactive, chemical, infectious, and general waste. General solid waste from rural hospitals is between 77.35 and 79% whilst hazardous waste is between 21 and 22.65%. Solid waste increase add burden to nearly incapacitated rural hospitals. Rural hospital solid waste management processes include storage, transportation, treatment methods like autoclaving and chlorination, waste reduction alternatives, and disposal. Disposal strategies involve open pits, open burning, dumping, and incineration. Rural hospital solid waste management is guided by legislation, policies, guidelines, and conventions. Effectiveness of legal framework is limited by economic and socio-political problems. Rural hospital solid waste management remain inappropriate causing environmental health risks. Developed hierarchical model can narrow the route to attain sustainable management of rural hospitals' solid waste. Proposed hierarchical model consists of five-layered strategies and acted as a guide for identifying and ranking approaches to manage rural hospitals' solid waste. Additionally, Zimbabwean government, Environmental Management Agency and Ministry of Health is recommended to collaborate to provide sufficient resources to rural hospitals whilst enforcing legal framework. Integration of all hierarchical model's elements is essential whereas all-stakeholder involvement and solid waste minimisation approaches are significant at rural hospitals.

Impacts and Regulations of Healthcare Solid Waste Management during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

In a pandemic context, it is essential to intensify precautions related to healthcare solid waste, known as HCSW, ensuring the continuous search for safer management and handling protocols of these materials. In this sense, the aim of this paper is to conduct a comprehensive review of the literature about the management of healthcare waste during the COVID-19 pandemic. The current investigation was underpinned by the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) framework, selected to ensure the comprehensive and transparent presentation of the systematic review. In pursuit of this objective, three distinct keyword combinations were employed, namely, “solid waste management”, “medical waste”, and “COVID-19 pandemic”. Consequently, a total of 76 documents were incorporated into the analysis. The results of this analysis indicate that the amount and treatment of hospital solid waste were significantly affected by the pandemic, bringing impacts on social, economic, and environmental aspects. Recent studies have focused on mitigating these impacts by pursuing “green” solutions, such as implementing sustainable strategies, preserving biodiversity, adopting an eco-conscious lifestyle, improving healthcare infrastructure, raising public awareness, and changing HCSW management policies. In addition, alternative technologies have been explored for the adequate treatment of these wastes, as well as the replacement of harmful materials by safer substances. However, more scientific research on this topic is still needed, especially in the Brazilian context, in order to contribute to the development of strategies that minimize the impacts of the pandemic on both society and the environment.

From Incineration to Sterilisation of Solid Hospital Waste in Low-income Contexts: a Gradual Sustainable Transition.

Open burning and incineration are the two most common treatments for hospital solid waste in low-income countries. Due to the absence of limits on emissions and the lack of technical capacity or funding, obsolete incinerators do not guarantee neither a low environmental and economic impact nor people health. The SIRSU Project, co-financed by the Italian Agency for Sustainable Development and Newster Group, aims to substitute the incinerator in Beira Central Hospital (Mozambique) with an electric sterilizer, an environmentally friendly machine that is also safe for workers. However, it is not sufficient to import this new technology and train the staff. First, an assessment of the quantities and types of biomedical waste produced in the different hospitals is necessary, as well as a careful analysis of the waste management system of all hospitals in the city. If the technology is suitable for the context, then, after the training of technicians for maintenance and operation, a period of accompaniment and monitoring is necessary to optimise performances. The transition cannot be immediate, and a period of coexistence of the two plants (steriliser and incinerator) is necessary. To facilitate the gradual transition, the SIRSU project foresees the foundation of a local start-up to manage the steriliser and offer a waste full transport service for smaller hospitals to the Central Hospital where the machine is installed. This experience could be an opportunity to set guidelines comprehensive of the concepts of safety and security during all the steps of the transition. This aspect can be an important element for defining 1) the most appropriate technical solutions, evaluating the implementations on the control and regulation systems in order to minimize the risks associated with the process, 2) management and above all operational methods in order to guarantee not only compliance with the most precautionary technical legislations, but also modern and advanced operating standards.

Hospital Solid Waste Status: A Case Study of Dosso Mother and Child Health Center (CSME) in Niger

Thus, this study evaluated the solid waste management of the mother and child health center (CSME) of Dosso to contribute to its improvement. The approach involved conducting surveys and interviews, quantifying waste production, and analyzing how it is managed. According to the CSME Dosso hospital solid waste management analysis, all surface technicians were trained in hospital waste management, but 69% were illiterate. However, as part of this management, 51 bins of different capacities are set up for the entire establishment, including (18 bins with a capacity of 240 liters, 14 bins with 20 liters, and 19 small baskets with 10 liters). This characterization, based on both qualitative and quantitative measurements, indicates that Dosso CSME produces 167.63 kilograms of waste per day, 58.67 tons of waste per year, of which 72% is waste that is risk-free, primarily waste. Approximately 28% of waste, including household waste and containing infectious, toxic, and anatomical risks, is at risk. The disposal of this produced waste is done either by burning, by landfilling, or by burial in pits dug without any standards. This management through these different stages constitutes a source of environmental impact. This analysis also shows that the Dosso CSME needs a waste management plan and an operational incinerator, given the absence of administrative regulations, unqualified technicians, and insufficient financial resources.

Thermal Degradation Characteristic and Kinetic Analysis of the Solid Byproducts Recovered from Vacuum Pressurized/Friction Thermal Sterilization of Hospital Solid Wastes

Thermal Degradation Characteristic and Kinetic Analysis of the Solid Byproducts Recovered from Vacuum Pressurized/Friction Thermal Sterilization of Hospital Solid Wastes

Cost–Benefit Analysis of Introducing Custom-Made Small Thermal-Frictional Sterilization System to the Existing Hospital Waste Disposal System: A Case Study of Chinese Hospital

This manuscript proposes an integrated system for treating hospital solid waste (H.S.W.) consisting of an incineration and frictional sterilization system capable of operating during normal and emergency situations. We analyzed the benefits of integrating different hospital solid waste (H.S.W.) treatment systems with the existing stand-alone incineration system, with a particular emphasis on the thermal friction sterilization integration system. The objective was to define the economic advantages and benefits in terms of resources recovery of using the thermal frictional sterilization–incineration integrated system during the hospital’s normal and emergency/pandemic operating conditions. We modeled three modeling scenarios based on normal and emergency operating conditions. The results show that the H.S.W. was composed of 74% general H.S.W. Existing incineration systems would be the most expensive process because the sanitary transportation cost represented approximately 96% of the H.S.W. costs. The hospital would realize 40–61% savings relative to the existing method if the integrated incineration–frictional systems were implemented to treat 50–70% of H.S.W.; the savings were better than in other scenarios. Proposed scenario 3 had a much better resources recovery factor than scenarios 1 and 2. This modeling study showed that a thermal frictional sterilization–incineration system could work well even under emergency conditions if the H.S.W. in-house sorting/transportation/storage process is modified to cater to other H.S.W. treatment/sterilization systems.

COVID-19: An Accelerator for Global Plastic Consumption and Its Implications.

Plastic has been ingrained in our society. Repercussions on the usage of nonbiodegradable plastics and their problems have been recently realized. Despite its detrimental environmental impact, the COVID-19 epidemic has compelled worldwide citizens to increase their plastic use due to affordability and availability. The volume of hospital solid waste, particularly plastics, is overgrowing due to an unexpected increase in medical waste, culminating in the global waste management catastrophe. Henceforth, adopting good waste management practices along with appropriate technologies and viewing the current issue from a fresh perspective would be an opportunity in this current scenario. Accordingly, this review study will focus on the plastic waste scenario before and during the COVID-19 epidemic. This review also disseminates alternative disposal options and recommends practical solutions to lessen human reliance on traditional plastics. Further, the responsibilities of various legislative and regulatory authorities at the local, regional, and worldwide levels are addressed.

Description of the Characteristics of Solid Medical Waste in the Environment During the COVID - 19 Pandemic: Case Study Hospital X Covid-19 Referral in Semarang City

Characteristics of Solid Medical Waste As long as the hospital as a health service provider is a source of solid medical waste generation. The current COVID-19 pandemic can potentially increase the number of medical waste generation in health care facilities. The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on changing the characteristics of the medical waste produced. This study describes the characteristics of hospital solid medical waste during the COVID-19 pandemic at the X Referral Covid Hospital in Semarang City. The study results show that the ratio of increasing solid medical waste during the 2020 pandemic ranges from 1.39 to 2.08 kg/bed/day. Handling medical waste in this condition is a challenge that needs to be appropriately managed.

Analisis Pengelolaan Limbah Medis Padat Di Rumah Sakit Umum Daerah Cibinong Tahun 2021: Analysis of medical solid waste management at the Cibinong Hospital in General Year 2021

Introduction: The Cibinong Regional General Hospital is a type B hospital, which produces many types of waste. Hospital activities produce various types of waste, namely liquid, solid and gas. The problem of managing hospital solid medical waste is currently a serious concern considering the negative impacts that can be caused if it is not managed properly. Some steps for good solid medical waste management include sorting, storing, transporting, destroying, impacting waste management, controlling combustion residue storage, and further processing by third parties. Methods: This study used a descriptive type of research, with qualitative methods. The research method was in-depth interview, observation and document review. There were 12 sources of information. Results: Based on the results of the study, the analysis of hospital solid medical waste management at Cibinong Hospital in general did not meet the requirements of Minister of Health Regulation No. 7 of 2019 including at the stages of sorting and transporting, but there are also some things that have been optimal so that they need to be improved. Human resources and the absence of continuous socialization, monitoring and socialization for implementing officers for managing solid medical waste triggers the mixing of solid medical waste with non-medical waste. Discussion: The hospital have to increase commitment in solid medical waste management, by oraginizing special training for officers on the stages of sorting in waste management, paying attention to the availability of plastic bags for medical waste, planning an incinerator maintenance budget and providing garbage carts in accordance with Minister of Health Regulation No. 7 of 2019.

Inadequacies in Hospital Waste and Sewerage Management in Chattogram, Bangladesh: Exploring Environmental and Occupational Health Hazards

Bangladesh has been grappling with the issues of improper hospital waste management. To reflect the inadequacies in existing management practices and the potential implications on the environment and health, this study evaluated the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) of doctors and nurses in a private and a public hospital in Chattogram city via a structured questionnaire survey. At the public hospital, 20.4% of the doctors and 6% of the nurses had occupational illnesses, compared to 36% of the doctors and 26.5% of the nurses at the private hospital. At the public hospital, 67.8% of the nurses wore PPE during waste collection, compared to 17.7% in the private hospital. Hospital wastes and occupational safety are not properly dealt with in both hospitals. An inadequacy was observed in the knowledge of hospital waste management among healthcare workers. The route of hospital wastes from the sources to the end destination was also traced via interviews and focus group discussions, which revealed that disposal practices of the hospital solid waste were environmentally unsustainable. In attempts to show opportunities for environmental and health risks from the hospital wastewater, this study also investigated the quality of the wastewater and tested it for the presence of resistant enteric pathogens. E. coli and S. aureus from both hospitals showed resistance against some common antibiotics used in Bangladesh. The physicochemical properties of the samples were nearly compliant with the Bangladesh Water Quality Standards for hospital wastewater. While more robust sampling and water quality analysis are required, this study provides basic water quality indicators and scope for future research to understand the apparent significant negative impact on the environment and health.

A cross sectional study on the knowledge, attitude and practices of medical and paramedical staff regarding the bio-medical waste management in a tertiary care institute in Lucknow

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> The bio-medical waste products create particularly serious problems for the municipalities and its safe disposal is becoming a serious environmental problem. The concern regarding medical wastes is mainly due to the presence of pathogenic organisms and organic substances in hospital solid wastes in significantly higher concentrations. About one fourth of biomedical waste is considered as hazardous and may affect the health of both medical personnel and general community. Aim and objectives of the research was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice about the biomedical waste management among the staff (medical and paramedical) of a tertiary care medical institute.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> The design of the study was observational, descriptive and cross-sectional. It was conducted in a 500 bedded private sector tertiary care medical institute in Lucknow. The study unit consisted of medical and paramedical staff (doctors, staff nurses, and ward boys) and sample size was 241 who consented to be a part of the study. All the study units who had been in the job for atleast 6 months in IIMSR who consented for the study were included; purposive convenience sampling was implemented and study period was from January 2018 to March 2018. </p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> Majority across all the types of study participants were males, married, residing in urban areas and having not undergone any formal training. Our study found that though all the study participants in various groups were having the relevant level of knowledge but attitude and practices were variable.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> This study showed that knowledge may be higher but attitude and practices are variable and are not related to educational level.</p>

Isolation and Identification of Pathogenic Bacteria from Soil Mixed with Hospital Wastes

Objective: Hospital solid wastes when not incinerated (nor waste-waters are scientifically treated) remain as sources of a myriad of pathogenic microorganisms. Methods: A total of 960 waste samples (soil mixed with waste) were collected from waste disposal site of the hospital. After successful growth, bacteria were sub-cultured in nutrient agar slants for preservation. Biochemical characteristics of isolated bacteria were done for identification of bacteria. Results: A total of 150 collected waste soil samples yielded 103 bacterial colonies, as 65 single and 38 mixed colonies, while 47 samples had no microbial growth. Methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA), vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates were in numbers, 28, 19 and 18, respectively. Of 103 colonies, 63 and 40 were from wastes of wards and ICUs. Invariably, MRSA strains were isolated, as single or mixed colonies. The average minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) range against oxacillin was recorded as 16 ?g/mL for MRSA, and Vancomycin 16 ?g/mL for VRE and 8 ?g/ mL gentamicin for P. aeruginosa. Conclusions: Site specific variation and seasonal variations underplay prevalence of different types of nosocomial spread of opportunistic pathogenic bacteria.

Os resíduos sólidos hospitalares na cidade de Eirunepé - Amazonas

O gerenciamento dos resíduos sólidos hospitalares tornou-se, nos dias atuais, uma questão essencial para a saúde humana e para a preservação e conservação da natureza. Por este motivo, o acondicionamento, a coleta, o transporte, o tratamento e a disposição final são fases importantes, que possibilitam a promoção de saúde pública, bem-estar social e viabilidade econômica. Neste sentido, analisar o gerenciamento dos resíduos sólidos hospitalares na cidade de Eirunepé – Amazonas foi o objetivo deste estudo, que se apresenta como uma possibilidade de espacialização da temática socioambiental. A cidade em estudo localiza-se a sudoeste da capital do Estado do Amazonas, possui 34.840 habitantes e densidade demográfica de 2,04 hab./km2. O método utilizado para explicar a problemática foi o materialismo histórico e dialético, e a metodologia utilizada baseou-se em pesquisa documental e pesquisa de campo. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que, o Hospital Regional Vinicius Conrado não dispõe de um Plano de Gerenciamento de Resíduos de Serviços de Saúde (PGRSS); a cidade deposita todas as origens de resíduos sólidos em um lixão a céu aberto. Em relação ao saneamento básico, a cidade tem Estação de tratamento de Água, limpeza urbana, porém o esgoto da cidade não é tratado e vai diretamente para o rio Juruá.

Low Chlorine Fuel Pellets Production from the Mixture of Hydrothermally Treated Hospital Solid Waste, Pyrolytic Plastic Waste Residue and Biomass

Thirteen types of fuel pellets were prepared from hydrothermally treated hospital solid waste, hydrothermally treated rice straw, pyrolytic plastic waste residue, rice straw, and Sakhalin fir residue using a flat die pellet machine. Different pellet properties such as pellet density, pellet durability, aspect ratio, physicochemical characteristics, and gross calorific value (GCV) were evaluated as well as compared concerning the European standard specification for residential/commercial densified fuels. In addition, the quality of pellets was compared with coal. The results showed that the pellets made only with hydrothermally treated hospital solid waste, hydrothermally treated rice straw, pyrolytic plastic waste residue, and rice straw failed to meet few individual criteria (<3 wt% ash content, <10 wt% moisture content, <0.03 wt% chlorine content, >96.5 wt% pellet durability, and >600 kg/m3 pellet density) of the European standard specifications. However, most of the mixed fuel pellets satisfied the requirement of pellet properties according to the European standard specification. In particular, up to 16.70 wt% hydrothermally treated rice straw, 1.50 wt% hydrothermally treated hospital solid waste, and 4.76 wt% of pyrolytic plastic waste residue can be blended with Shakhalin fir residue to produce low-chlorine fuel pellets. The gross calorific value of pellets made from the mixture of hydrothermally treated wastes and pyrolytic plastic waste residue (around 22 MJ/kg) showed similar results to that of coal. In the case of mixed pellets, the presence of these hydrothermally treated wastes and pyrolytic plastic waste residue valorized the fuel pellet quality. The main outcome of this study was the production of low chlorine biomass fuel pellets of high gross calorific values blended with hydrothermally treated wastes and pyrolytic waste residues, which opens a new door for utilizing waste in a better way, especially hospital solid waste.

LCA of Hospital Solid Waste Treatment Alternatives in a Developing Country: The Case of District Swat, Pakistan

Improper management of hospital waste leads to serious health and environmental issues, particularly in the case of developing countries, where, often, applied technologies are obsolete and there is a lack of compliance with respect to international best practices. The present study is designed to assess the environmental impacts of hospital waste management practices in Swath District, Pakistan. For this purpose, a life-cycle assessment (LCA) is applied for the estimation of different impacts of current and alternative hospital solid waste (HSW) treatment practices. Two scenarios are used to describe the current alternative practices (Scenario A and Scenario B), referring either to incineration or to direct landfilling of HSW without any sorting of collected materials. Conversely, Scenario C, which includes the use of pyrolysis and chemical disinfection, are considered as an up-to-date alternative, based on current international recommendations in this field. Prior to the analysis of impacts, due to the lack of available information, data were directly collected from both government and private hospitals in District Swat, involving measurements and a characterization of collected waste. In parallel, interviews were conducted, involving the hospitals’ personnel. With respect to waste generation, government hospitals produce a larger amount of waste (74%) compared to private hospitals (24%). Poor regulatory indications and the absence of clear obligations for collection, disposal and management still represent a first obstacle to implement good practices. After defining the boundary of the system and the functional unit, according to standardized LCA practices, a life--cycle impact assessment (LCIA) was conducted, considering eight impact categories: human toxicity, freshwater eco-toxicity, marine aquatic eco-toxicity, terrestrial eco-toxicity, acidification potential, climate change, eutrophication and photochemical oxidation. The current practices (Scenario A and Scenario B) turned out to be the worst for all categories. In particular, the largest impact of all is recorded for human toxicity generated by incineration. In parallel, it must be considered that, currently, no recycling or reusing practices are implemented. Conversely, Scenario C (alternative up-to-date practices) would generate lower impacts. In detail, the highest value was recorded for marine aquatic ecotoxicity in relation to pyrolysis. Applying Scenario C, it would be possible to recover some materials, such as plastics, paper and sharps. In detail, considering the observed compositional characteristics, it would be possible to recover up to 78% of sharps and recycle 41% of plastic and paper from the general waste stream. Moreover, energy could be recovered from the pyrolysis process, generating a further benefit for the surrounding area. A lack of awareness, knowledge and infrastructures prevents the application of correct management practices, further degrading life and environmental conditions of this remote region of Pakistan. The huge difference in impacts between current practices and alternatives is demonstrated, showing a clear alternative for future management plans in this remote region and supporting future actions for local policymakers and hospital managers.