COLLEGE OF MEDICINE

AND ALLIED HEALTH

SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY HEALTH
SOLID WASTE
MANAGEMENT

Dr Momodu Sesay
Introduction
• Waste is solid substances generated as a result of human activities,
and no longer of value for the respective economic, physiological or
technological process.

• It predominantly includes food wastes, yard wastes, containers and

product packaging, and other miscellaneous inorganic wastes from
residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial sources.

• If not properly managed, can be dangerous to the environment,

health, social and economic welfare of people
 Classification of solid waste
Solid waste can be classified into two categories by its characteristics.
• 1. Organic Solid Waste
• 2. Inorganic Solid Waste

Organic Solid Waste

• Biodegradable waste that decomposes and in the process of
decomposition emits an offensive and irritating smell when left
untouched. For example, food, sewage sludge, green waste, etc.
Inorganic Solid Waste
• Solid matter that does not decompose at any rate. This category of waste
matter may be combustible depending on the type or the nature of the
material they constitute. For example, rubbish.
 Biodegradable waste
• Biodegradable waste is a type of waste, typically originating from
plant or animal sources, which may be degraded by other living
organisms. E.g. green waste, food waste, paper waste etc
• Biodegradable waste can often be used for composting or be a
resource for heat, electricity and fuel.
• Produces additional biogas and still delivers the compost for the soil.
It could be a fully developed system and produce millions Kwh of
electricity
 Sources of Solid Waste
Sources of Solid Waste
 Residential (domestic or household)
 Commercial
 Institutional
 Construction Demolition
 Treatment plant sites
 Solid Industrial Waste
 Solid Agricultural Waste
THE FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SOLID WASTE
• Waste generation - encompasses activities in which materials are
identified as no longer being of value and are either thrown out or
gathered together for disposal.
• Collection
• Waste handling and separation, storage and processing at the source.
- involves activities associated with waste management until the waste
is placed in storage containers for collection
• Transfer and transport
• Treatment
• Disposal
 Waste management
• ‘’It is the process of effective collection, storage, sorting, treatment, disposal
and monitoring of waste in an efficient manner to reduce damage to the
environment and risk to the health of human’’ (Samba T.T, (2018)
• The system of administration that manages the activities of collection,
source separation, storage, transportation, transfer, processing, treatment,
and disposal of solid waste is called solid waste management.
Objective
• Maintain a healthy environment
• Removal of hazard to human health
 Waste Hierarchy
Classification of waste management strategies based on desirability
using the 4 Rs
• Reduce,
• Reuse
• Recycle
• Rethink
 Method of solid waste disposal
 Open Burning- not desirable
 Sea dumping process- environmental problems
 Sanitary landfills – Trench or area
 Incineration method- source of greenhouse gas emissions
 Composting- agricultural farms
 Disposal by Ploughing into the fields
 Disposal by hog feeding
 Salvaging procedure –recycling and reuse
 Fermentation/biological digestion –for biodegradable waste
 Health care waste
• Health-care waste includes all the waste generated by health-care
establishments, research facilities, and laboratories.
• It also includes the waste originating from other sources such as
that produced in the course of health care undertaken in the home
(dialysis, insulin injections, etc.)
• According to WHO, about 75%–90% of the wastes generated from
different healthcare facilities can be considered as non-hazardous
• The remaining 10–25% of healthcare waste is regarded as hazardous
and may create a variety of health risks
• In high income countries approximately 0.5 kg(bed-day)of hazardous
waste are generated and 0.2 kg(bed-day) are generated in low-income
countries
 Concept of Health waste management
(WHO)
• Waste hierarchy (4Rs) based on desirability.( prevention, minimization, reuse,
recycle energy recovery, disposal
• Polluter Pays Principle : All waste producers are legally and financially
responsible for safe handling, environmentally sound disposal and creating an
incentive to produce less
• Precautionary Principle: Where risk is uncertain or unknown, assume risk is
significant and plan protection measures accordingly
• Duty of Care Principle: The “duty of care” principle stipulates that any person
handling or managing hazardous substances or related equipment is ethically
responsible for applying the utmost care
• Proximity Principle: Treatment and disposal of waste takes place as near as
possible to the point of production as is technically and environmentally possible
Classification of Health care Waste

Health-care Waste Infectious Waste

• Sharps
• Anatomical waste (Pathological
waste)
• Other infectious waste
Hazardous Waste Toxic Waste
• Pharmaceutical Waste
• Chemical Waste
• Genotoxic and Cytotoxic Waste

Radioactive Waste

Recyclable Waste

Non-hazardous Waste Biodegradable Waste

Other non-risk waste

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 Classification of health care waste
Waste category Description and example

Infectious waste Waste suspected to contain pathogens e.g. laboratory cultures; waste
from isolation wards; tissues (swabs), materials, or equipment that
have been in contact with infected patients

Pathological waste Human tissues or fluids e.g. body parts; blood and other body fluids;
fetuses,placenta

Sharps Sharp waste e.g. needles; infusion sets; scalpels; knives; blades;
broken glass

Pharmaceutical waste Waste containing pharmaceuticals e.g. pharmaceuticals that are

expired or no longer needed e.g drugs, vaccines, sera ; items
contaminated by or containing pharmaceuticals (bottles, boxes)
 Classification contd
Waste category Description and example

Genotoxic waste/Cytotoxic waste containing cytostatic drugs (often used in cancer

therapy-eg
cyclophosphamide,Tamoxifen,Chlorambucil); genotoxic
chemicals. These have teratogenic, or carcinogenic
properties
Waste containing chemical
substances e.g. laboratory reagents;
film developer; disinfectants that are
expired or no longer needed;
Waste containing radioactive
substances. X-rays, alpha and beta-
particles,and gamma-rays emitted by
radioactive substances.
Wastes with high content of heavy Batteries; broken thermometers; blood-pressure
 Sources of health care waste
Major sources of health-care waste
• Hospitals
Other health-care establishments
• Emergency medical care services
• Health-care centres and dispensaries
• Obstetric and maternity clinics
• Outpatient clinics
• Dialysis centres
• First-aid posts and sick bays
• Long-term health-care establishments and hospices
• Transfusion centres
 Sources contd
Related laboratories and research centres
• Medical and biomedical laboratories
• Biotechnology laboratories and institutions
• Medical research centres
Others
• Mortuary and autopsy centres
• Animal research and testing
• Blood banks and blood collection services
• Nursing homes for the elderly
• Funeral service homes
Different types of health care waste
 Who is at Risk ?
• All individuals coming into close proximity with hazardous health-care
waste are at risk from exposure to a hazard
• Main groups of people at risk are:
• Healthcare workers, auxiliaries & maintenance personnel
• Patients in health-care facilities or receiving home care
• Visitors
• Cleaners & porters
• Workers transporting waste to a treatment or disposal facility
• Workers in waste-management facilities (such as landfills or
treatment plants), as well as informal recyclers (scavengers)
Management of Health care waste
• Collection
• Segregation
• Storage
• Collection
• Treatment
• Disposal
Three-Bin Segregation System

WHO, 2014
Waste Bins

General waste Infectious waste Sharps

General waste bin Infectious waste bin lined

Sharps container
lined with trash bag with bio-hazard bag
Ways of Treating Medical Waste
• Incineration: burning at high temperatures in an incinerator—850°C
to 1100°C (Demontfort 600°C to 700°C).
• Autoclave or microwave technology. - Sterilization
• Chemical disinfection: treatment methods using a chemical such as
hypochlorite solution to render the waste safe.
 Health care Waste Disposal
Disposal refers to the final placement of • Examples of waste disposal
treated waste, using a sanitary landfill methods in low income settings
or any other environmentally include:
acceptable method of final storage
appropriate to the local conditions. • Burial pits
Burial in pits: for example, infectious • burn pit,
waste pit, placenta pits, ash pit. • Placenta pit
• Ash pit
Waste zone area with electrical Incinerator at 34 Mil Treatment
Centre
JUI Treatment centre Electrical Incinerator at Jui

• Electrical incinerator in place

• No demarcated waste zone area
• Waste segregated before
incineration.
• Trained incinerator operator is
available
• Waste handlers requires training