Hygiena 2024, 69(3):84-89 | DOI: 10.21101/hygiena.a1860

Medical waste – current situation and the transition to a circular economy

Jana Loosová^{1, 2}, Julie Mokrá²

¹ Krajská hygienická stanice Libereckého kraje se sídlem v Liberci, Liberec, Česká republika

² Technická univerzita v Liberci, Liberec, Česká republika

The analysis and subsequent visualisation of changes in waste production related to different levels of territorial units reflect the basic trends of changes in the structure of healthcare provision between 2020 and 2021. The issue of risks arising from healthcare waste management is shifting towards a circular economy at the global level in terms of managing material flows in the specific environment of healthcare and its safety requirements. The role of the public health authority in this matter resides in supervision, the content of which can be practically structured into the form of checklists enabling to find safe ways of introducing the principles of circular economy into healthcare facilities. The pursuit of social and environmental responsibility in the healthcare sector in association with the management of material flows and increased recycling rates is currently being intensively discussed not only in academia but also at the policy level of individual manufacturers of medical devices and equipment. Finding a safe way to recycle materials that are currently predominantly incinerated is a challenge for all stakeholders.

Keywords: medical waste, medical devices, sustainability, public health - protection

Received: May 2024; Accepted: August 30, 2024; Published: September 30, 2024  Show citation