WHO reveals huge problem of COVID-19 waste

International organizations and countries purchased and used billions of masks and other personal protective equipment in response to COVID-19. But little attention has been given to safe management of medical waste and the resulting environmental impact.

From March 2020 to November 2021, the United Nations alone has shipped a total of 1.5 billion units of COVID-19-related personal protective equipment, a chunk of which are masks and gloves, based on data from the COVID-19 Supply Portal. That’s 87,000 metric tons of PPE, “equivalent to 261,747 jumbo jet aeroplanes,” according to the report, and most of these have likely ended up as waste after being used.

These numbers cover data captured only within the U.N. procurement system, making it an underestimate of the true number of potential waste from single-use PPE. According to the report, the volume of disposable masks shipped by the U.N. represents less than 0.1% of waste increases due to COVID-19.

The U.N. also shipped more than 140 million test kits, which is equivalent to 2,600 metric tons of waste; and 731,000 liters of chemicals, which is equivalent to “one third of an Olympic-size swimming pool.” While 97% of the plastic waste from tests is incinerated, the report says this puts a burden on countries’ waste management systems and “increases pollution where incineration is not well controlled.”

Vaccinations are also contributing to the waste problem. Vaccines come with syringes and needles and are placed in safety boxes. The report estimates 144,000 metric tons of additional waste from the 79 million safety boxes shipped as of Dec. 7, 2021.

“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 of our health care resources, from cradle to grave,” Dr. Maria Neira, director of the department of public health and environment at the World Health Organization, said in a news release.

WHO recommends a number of practical solutions for how to reduce COVID-19-related waste, including through the rational use of PPEs such as gloves, one of the most overused PPEs; use of little and more sustainable packaging materials; development and use of safe and reusable PPE and those made with renewable or recyclable materials.

The U.N. agency also recommends the use of reverse logistics — making use of existing medical supply chain systems to transport health care waste to a centralized location where it can be safely treated and disposed of — as well as investments in recycling systems and local and regional production of PPE.

Safe waste management for health care waste is lacking globally, with 1 in 3 health care facilities not safely managing health care waste, according to 2019 estimates. Almost 30% of health care facilities are “not equipped to handle existing waste loads,” and they are further strained with the additional waste generated from COVID-19 products.

This puts health workers at risk of needle stick injuries and burns, and exposes them to pathogenic microorganisms. Poor safe waste management also has an impact on the health of communities, particularly those living near waste disposal sites, given its potential for air and water contamination, and exposure to pests spreading diseases, the release said.

Meanwhile, a study found that if the U.K. manufactured its own PPEs instead of importing them from Asia during the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic, it could have reduced its PPE carbon footprint by 12%, saving 12,491 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents.