Medical Waste

Medical waste, due to the risk of carrying infectious disease, is more dangerous and costlier to dispose of than conventional municipal solid waste.

Wealthy countries generate up to 0.5 kilograms per hospital bed per day ¹, and alternatively, it is estimated that the United States generates 15 kilograms per bed per day, for a total of 5.9 million tons per year from hospitals, with an additional amount from dental offices, veterinarians, and other medical facilities ².

In 1990, it was estimated that sharps (used syringes) caused up to 1-4 HIV infections and 80-160 hepatitus C infections per year ³.

Pharmaceuticals

Unused drugs should be disposed of through incineration ⁴, but most are thrown out with ordinary trash or flushed into the sewer system ⁵. Improper disposal of pharmaceuticals causes toxicity to wildlife and humans, if the drugs get back into public water supply, and contribute to antibacterial resistance ⁶. It is estimated that 16,000 tons of pharamceuticals are disposed of per year in Germany, of which 9600-12,8000 are disposed of improperly, and that the medical cause of pharmaceutical pollution in the United Kingdom is $100-300 million per year ⁷.