Medical waste disposal refers to the specific type of waste generated by hospitals, physician’s offices, dental practices, mortuaries, nursing homes, blood banks, veterinary clinics, medical research facilities, and laboratories. The waste is disposed of by various disposal methods such as incineration, autoclaving, chemical treatment, etc.

The two types of waste are classified as

a) Hazardous Waste: Hazardous waste has properties that can have a detrimental impacts on human health or the environment. It is originates from infectious, pathological (tissue), sharp, chemical, pharmaceutical, cytotoxic (mutagenic, teratogenic or carcinogenic substances) or radioactive sources.

b) Non-hazardous Waste: Non-hazardous waste does not pose risks to people or the environment, and regulations governing the disposal of non-hazardous waste are relatively less stringent. Examples of non-hazardous medical waste include plastic packaging, clean glass and plastic, paper and cardboard, and office products. It contributes to about 85% of all medical waste, and ~15% is hazardous

The WHO estimates that affluent nations produce 0.5kg of hazardous medical waste for each bed occupied in an hospital, in developing nations this is closer to 0.2kg. However, estimates are harder to come to as hazardous and non-hazardous waste are usually mixed up making the volume much higher. Proper waste disposal is required to decrease environmental risks, protect healthcare staff and prevent contamination.
Increasing Volume of Hazardous Medical Waste Fuels the Global Medical Waste Management Market

Medical waste is rising as the population and healthcare use rise, particularly in developing economies. As the world ages and overall life expectancies rise, sickness rises as well, leading to an increase in medical waste. Other growth factors include:

• Increasing utilization of disposables – Hospitals are increasingly using disposables – regular items such as catheters and scalpels are disposed of as opposed to autoclaving or UV treating them

• Prions (pathogens resistant to sterilization by autoclaving or UV) have the highest level of resistance to disinfection/sterilization. Reusable medical gadgets are more vulnerable to prions contamination. Additional concerns surrounding the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria are also driving the move to using disposables

• An increasing use of a variety of radionuclides in medicine and medical research has fueled the volume of biomedical radioactive waste

• Another Critical driver for the increase in hazardous waste is due to inadequate waste management in developing economies. Improper disposal mixes hazardous trash with normal waste, making the general waste dangerous. This increases the overall volume of waste that must be disposed of by incineration.

Empowered by Covid-19 Pandemic Legislative Focus on the Proper Disposal of Medical Waste is Projected to Continue to Drive the Global Medical Waste Management Market
Covid-19 outbreak has highlighted the importance of effective and safe medical waste management, placing plans for it higher on the agenda for governments. Waste generated due to Covid-19 in many countries exceeded the waste management capabilities available at the time. During Covid-19, in the Hubei Province, China observed a medical waste generation rate of 0.5kg/bed/day in several hospitals, which in turn led to investments in increasing capacity and emergency solutions to waste disposal.

The Emphasis on the safe processing of waste has resulted in legislation surrounding the safe disposal of waste from governments worldwide, requiring effective disposal. The most often used methods are incineration, autoclaving, chemical disinfection, and microwave treatment.

Instances of the growing emphasis on the effective disposal of medical waste include:

• Healthcare waste management was one of the significant challenges that started due to the response to the Covid-19 pandemic. So to strengthen and safely manage the infectious waste, in July 2020, the European Union (EU) and the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) donated two medical waste autoclaves to the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHW) in Belize (North-eastern coast of Central America). Autoclaves are crucial for proper waste management and are primarily used to sterilize infectious waste before it is disposed of in designated landfills. Through the donation of the autoclaves, the Ministry of Health and Wellness in Belize improved the hospital’s capacity for infection prevention and control with a focus on medical waste management

North America Dominates Market Share While China is Growing Rapidly as Companies Aim to Adhere to Chinese Regulations
The United States of America (USA) has a Highly-developed healthcare industry – there is also a strict set of regulatory guidelines that healthcare providers and waste disposal companies have to comply with. Government oversight for the management of medical waste involves multiple regulatory entities including the EPA, OSHA, and individual State Departments for Environmental Protection. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) issued regulations surrounding emissions produced by medical waste incineration, and other methods of disposal such as microwave, chemical and electropyrolysis disposal are more commonly used – driving demand for these services.
As China and India begin to improve the implementation of their medical waste disposal policy the medical waste disposal market is expected to see significant growth.

Competitive Landscape Analysis : Global Medical Waste Management Market
Some of the major players operating in the Global Medical Waste Management Market are Biomedical Waste Solutions, Clean Harbors, Inc., Daniels Health Inc., EcoMed Services, Remondis Medison (A Subsidiary of Remondis Ag & Co.Kg), Republic Services, Inc., Stericycle, Inc., Suez Environmental Services, Veolia Environmental Services and Waste Management, Inc. The market is moderately fragmented, with some larger players holding substantial market share, particularly in developed economies.

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