Waste is generated during the different stages of the life cycle of a product, service or equipment: at the time of the extraction of raw materials, during its manufacture, its use and its end of life. life. They are caused by all economic actors. Human-generated waste leads to the pollution of our planet. With the advancement of technology, the amount of waste has increased at high speed. Due to the overconsumption of resources, various means are sought to recycle the resulting waste. There are means to which we resort such as landfills, incineration or storage in order to face up to this situation which is pollution.

The waste nomenclature is the reference in terms of waste classification. The waste code from this nomenclature is required in all official waste management documents.

Healthcare related waste

Wastes and by-products are very diverse, as shown in the list below:

Infectious waste: waste contaminated with blood and other body fluids (e.g. from samples taken for diagnostic purposes and then disposed of), cultures and stocks of infectious agents used in the laboratory (e.g. autopsies and infected laboratory animals) or waste from hospitalized patients placed in isolation and materials (e.g. swabs, bandages and disposable medical devices).

Anatomical waste: tissues and organs of the human body or body fluids and contaminated animal carcasses.

Sharp and pointed objects: syringes, needles, scalpels and disposable razor blades, etc.

Chemicals: for example, solvents used for laboratory preparations, disinfectants and heavy metals present in medical devices (mercury in broken thermometers) and batteries.

Genotoxic waste: very hazardous, carcinogenic, mutagenic or teratogenic waste,1 eg cytotoxic drugs used in the treatment of cancer, and their metabolites.

Radioactive waste: for example, products contaminated with radionuclides, including radioactive diagnostic equipment or radiotherapy equipment.

Other waste that does not present any particular biological, chemical, radioactive or physical hazard.

The main sources of healthcare waste are:

• hospitals and other health care facilities;
• laboratories and research centers;
• morgues and autopsy centres;
• research institutions and laboratories that perform animal testing;
• blood banks and blood collection services;
• care facilities for the elderly. 

The average amount of hazardous waste per hospital bed per day is 0.5 kg in high-income countries and 0.2 kg in low-income countries. However, in low-income countries, hazardous and non-hazardous waste is rarely separated and, in reality, the amount of hazardous waste is much higher.

The impact of healthcare waste

The treatment and disposal of healthcare waste can indirectly lead to health risks due to the release of pathogens and toxic pollutants into the environment.

If not done properly, burying waste can contaminate drinking water. Poorly designed, poorly managed or poorly maintained waste collection centers represent a risk for those who work there.

The incineration of waste has been widely practiced but imperfect incineration or the incineration of materials unsuitable for this method of disposal leads to the release of pollutants and ash residues into the atmosphere. Incineration of chlorine-containing materials can produce dioxins and furans, which are carcinogenic to humans and have been linked to various adverse health effects. The incineration of heavy metals or materials containing a large amount of metal (especially lead, mercury or cadmium) can lead to the release of toxic metals into the environment.

Only modern incinerators reaching a temperature between 850°C and 1100°C and equipped with an exhaust gas cleaning device comply with international standards for dioxin and furan emissions.

Today there are other solutions, such as autoclaving, microwave treatment or steam treatment combined with internal grinding, and chemical treatment.

Finally, the consequences of the mismanagement of plastic waste on the climate but also on livelihoods and ecosystems constitute an urgent development challenge. Addressing this requires targeted and innovative strategies inspired by the circular economy. Such a strategy starts from the design phase of a product and the selection of raw materials with the aim of achieving a result allowing reuse, while creating "renewable resources" and limiting the initial stage of extraction. raw materials and the final stage of waste disposal

Waste treatment

Waste treatment has indirect consequences on the environment and health The entire waste treatment chain has environmental consequences:

• Curbside collection and transport to the sorting centre, incinerator and landfill consumes energy and emits greenhouse gases. They are a source of air pollution (exhaust gas), noise and odors and damage the roads.

• Waste storage consumes space temporarily (in sorting centers) or permanently (in landfills).

• Landfilling causes landscape degradation (land use, visual and olfactory pollution, etc.). Decomposing waste releases methane – a potent greenhouse gas – and toxic elements (like heavy metals) that contaminate soil and groundwater. In the Walloon Region, strict legislation has been put in place to minimize the impacts of landfills (henceforth called "Centres d'Enfouissement Technique" or CET). These CETs are equipped in such a way as to avoid any environmental nuisance. The bottom and the walls are sealed, the percolation water (following the rain) is collected and purified and the gases produced by the decomposition of organic waste are captured and adequately treated. Despite this, landfilling is not a solution, as waste that is buried in this way persists.

• Incineration of waste releases toxic substances (for example, persistent organic pollutants such as dioxin) which disperse in the air and then end up in soils and water. Although in the Walloon Region the incinerators are equipped with high-tech devices which make it possible to dust the fumes, to wash them and to neutralize the hydrochloric acid (released in particular by the combustion of PVC plastics), the toxic emissions cannot be completely avoided. Incineration residues (ash and filter residues) still represent 30% of the mass of waste burned. They may contain the same hazardous substances as the fumes. They are put into TEC and there is still a risk of these substances spreading into the environment.

Hazardous waste, a particular threat to the environment Depending on the nature of their constituents and their properties, some waste represents a specific hazard to humans or the environment and is considered hazardous. These include, for example, waste containing heavy metals (lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, etc.), hydrocarbons, explosive, oxidizing or easily flammable waste, irritating waste, etc. Most hazardous waste comes from industry. These are mainly waste from the steel industry, animal by-products, acid solutions and waste from the chemical industry, shredder residues, polluted soil, sewage waste, etc. Hospital waste is also a hazardous waste. A small fraction of hazardous waste comes from household waste. These include, for example, used oils, paints, inks (printer cartridges), glues, varnishes, solvents (white spirit, etc.), contaminated packaging, batteries, etc. They represent only a very small part of our trash (about 1%), but can be as toxic as all other waste. Disposed of with other waste, they significantly increase the nuisance generated by incineration and landfilling. Thrown into the sewer, they disrupt the operation of wastewater treatment plants and contaminate waterways. It is not uncommon to find them abandoned at the bottom of a garden, in rivers or by the roadside.

HOUSEHOLD WASTE AND RECYCLING

All the studies carried out over the last five years in Brazil, Canada, Europe or Asia confirm our ability to quantify greenhouse gas emissions from household waste over a life cycle. Each study shows that recycling and reuse have positive effects in reducing greenhouse gases, primarily through the recovery of the energy, water and materials used to manufacture these products. These studies have focused in particular on the "upstream" impacts (the production stage), such as the effects of replacing virgin materials with recycled materials, as well as on the "downstream" impacts which result from alternative strategies such as the landfilling, composting or incineration of waste. The sum of the upstream and downstream impacts represents a double benefit for recycling. Even when the emissions produced by waste collection trucks are taken into account, there is a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

The magnitude of greenhouse gas emission reductions and the reduction mechanism in a given location, however, depends on the specific materials used, the extent of recovery, the availability of markets, and the amount of fuels reduced through recycling of resources. Recycling metals is a real energy saver, while recycling paper often contributes to the carbon sequestration benefits provided by forests. Substituting energy generation from oil or coal, two carbon-rich fossil fuels, contributes more to reducing emissions than recycling and replacing generated energy with renewables or hydropower . When measuring the comparative effects of recycling and waste disposal on the climate, there are therefore no universal rules, but regional differences.

Many tools exist today to calculate the environmental impact of the various solid waste and materials processing channels. An example is the Northeast Recycling Council's Environment Benefits Calculator, which assesses the environmental benefits in a given area based on the tonnage of materials reduced at source, reused, recycled, landfilled or incinerated. This calculator, a tool in Microsoft Excel format, incorporates the results of several life cycle studies based on “typical” plants and production characteristics in the United States. The Brazil study assesses in detail the environmental impacts of materials, such as aluminum, plastic, paper, steel and glass.

With the exception of mixed materials or contaminated materials that are difficult to categorize or recycle, a wide range of programs are available to reduce the environmental impact of waste management. Some of the most successful programs include collection of recyclable household waste or drop-off at district-level centres; requiring residents who produce a lot of waste to pay more than those who produce less; the implementation of policies that have been adopted in Europe and are spreading rapidly in Asia aimed at strengthening the role of manufacturers in the return of products (increased manufacturer responsibility); and assessment of duties and taxes on product categories such as tires or batteries, or on general landfill use.

Hazardous waste must be collected and treated in a specific manner in order to avoid any contamination of the environment. In Wallonia, hazardous waste produced by households is taken back by container parks or by a company approved by the Walloon Region for its disposal. In the Brussels-Capital Region, hazardous waste from households can be taken to the Green Corners or disposed of by an approved company. It is important to remember that while waste management is important for the environment, so are many other waste-related issues, such as pollution, water quality at waste treatment sites , land degradation and resource scarcity. In less developed countries where waste recovery is an important activity in the often highly organized informal economy, waste management raises many social, economic and public health issues. According to a study by McKinsey & Company, the environmental impacts of the waste sector are nevertheless expected to increase by 20% by 2030. In terms of reduction, 60% of the reduction potential of these increases could be achieved through recycling.

Historically, increases in the volume of waste are statistically linked to gross domestic product per capita: the more dynamic the economy, the more waste there is. However, some countries have succeeded in decoupling economic growth and waste. Even in affluent societies, fewer landfills mean more reduce, reuse and recycle activities which, in turn, reduce environmental impacts. Early "green jobs" studies indicate that recycling and composting create more jobs than waste disposal, provide opportunities for training, employment and new investment in the next generation of waste recycling technologies. waste. The cascading benefits of technology and innovation to conserve and reuse materials, water and energy are growing and can significantly contribute to reducing the environmental impact of waste.

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