COVID-19 vaccines administered globally have produced tonnes of medical waste​, almost equivalent to the weight of 800 blue whales

• WHO report reveals that thousands of tonnes of extra medical waste from the response to the COVID-19 pandemic has put tremendous strain on healthcare waste management systems around the world.
• Nearly 87,000 tonnes of PPE kits which were procured between March 2020 and November 2021, are expected to have ended up as waste.
• Syringes, needles and safety boxes and disposable masks further could have generated 1,44,000 tonnes and 59,000 tonnes of waste respectively.

The World Health Organization (WHO) in its latest report, which came out on Tuesday, revealed that thousands of tonnes of extra medical waste from the response to the COVID-19 pandemic has put tremendous strain on healthcare waste management systems around the world.

Nearly 87,000 tonnes of personal protective equipment (PPE) was procured between March 2020 and November 2021 and shipped to support countries as an urgent COVID-19 response, and WHO estimates that this equipment is expected to have ended up as waste.

Source: WHO

The author of the WHO report says, “Over 140 million test kits, with a potential to generate 2,600 tonnes of non-infectious waste (mainly plastic) and 7,31,000 litres of chemical waste (equivalent to one-third of an Olympic-size swimming pool) have been shipped, while over 8 billion doses of vaccine have been administered globally producing 1,44,000 tonnes of additional waste in the form of syringes, needles, and safety boxes.”

Syringes, needles and safety boxes and disposable masks further could have generated 1,44,000 tonnes and 59,000 tonnes of waste respectively.

It is almost impossible for all the countries to reduce this wastage because the above listed equipments are absolutely necessary to protect healthcare workers around the globe.

“It is absolutely vital to provide health workers with the right PPE. But it is also vital to ensure that it can be used safely without impacting on the surrounding environment,” said Dr Michael Ryan, executive director of WHO Health Emergencies Programme in the report.

The report further reveals that around 30% of healthcare facilities in developed countries and 60% in developing countries are not equipped to handle existing waste loads of only COVID-19.

“COVID-19 has forced the world to reckon with the gaps and neglected aspects of the waste stream and how we produce, use and discard our health care resources, from cradle to grave,” said Dr Maria Neira, director of environment, climate change and health at WHO.

WHO further recommended how to tackle this problem, which can be human and environment-threatening. Recommendations include using eco-friendly packaging and shipping, safe and reusable PPE (for e.g., gloves and medical masks made with recyclable or biodegradable materials), investment in non-burn waste treatment technologies, such as autoclaves, reverse logistics to support centralised treatment and investments in the recycling sector to ensure materials, like plastics can be helpful.

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