Biomedical waste management and its impact on climate change in India

India’s exposure to climate change impacts during the summer of 2024 was evident. Our country is presently in a vulnerable ecological state characterised by declining groundwater levels, record-breaking summer temperatures, erratic monsoons, and melting glaciers. In addition, numerous industries, including the healthcare sector, are also aggravating climate change, with biomedical waste being a major concern in the healthcare industry.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board, in 2020, healthcare facilities in India generated a staggering amount of about 800 tons/day (equivalent to about 100 truckloads daily) of biomedical waste, which comprised several hazardous chemicals, a wide variety of infectious organisms, and expired medicines. The impact of this mismanagement on the environment and public health is very profound. Healthcare waste generation has increased due to a combination of factors such as improved medical services provision and increasing population growth rates. Sadly, most of this waste does not get separated, treated, or disposed of in the proper manner, hence causing extensive pollution. In India, it is estimated that more than 15 per cent of bio-medical waste goes untreated. This untreated waste ends up in landfills or open dumps, which in turn contaminates the soil and water with toxins as well as harmful microorganisms capable of causing infections in humans. 

Climate change is accelerated by biomedical waste in several ways. The first mechanism is the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere because of burning medical garbage. Gases emitted in the process include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, dioxins, and furans. These gases retain heat and thus contribute to the greenhouse effect and consequent global warming. Secondly, during the incineration process, fine particulate matter is released into the atmosphere, affecting air quality, which in turn adversely impacts the health of the people staying in the nearby areas. Additionally, the introduction of viruses into water bodies disturbs the ecosystem’s natural balance, leading to the release of greenhouse gases through altered biogeochemical processes.

Biomedical waste management in India is governed by the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016, under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, enacted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change. The regulations were first promulgated in 1998 but were revised in 2016 to make them more effective. The amended guidelines are aimed at making biomedical waste collection and separation more eco-sensitive, thereby reducing its inappropriate handling and adverse impact on the environment. However, for these regulations to have a more meaningful impact, biomedical waste management should be a mandatory social and legal obligation of the healthcare system. It should emphasise the protection of human beings from diseases and environmental hazards. Effective biomedical waste management should ideally be a shared responsibility between the healthcare industry, government, and the community. This requires extensive interaction between healthcare personnel and government agencies, as well as other bodies that make concerned laws. Additionally, efficient biomedical waste management should be based on practicing the principles of reduce, recycle, and reuse to minimise waste generation, as well as implementing appropriate waste disposal techniques that do not cause damage to the environment.

Technological advancements are providing a host of solutions to the issues of appropriately treating biomedical waste. More recently, techniques for dealing with waste, like chemical disinfection, autoclaving, and microwaves, have provided more secure alternatives and cleaner means of safe disposal compared to traditional methods, such as conventional combustion of the waste. These newer techniques result in reduced chances of infection from harmful waste and decrease the release of hazardous gaseous emissions into the atmosphere. Additionally, enhanced recycling and waste segregation procedures can improve biomedical waste handling. A case in point is the use of smart bins or garbage cans that have sensors and deploy data analytics to enable proper sorting by ensuring exact identification and directing separate kinds of waste to their correct disposal sites. Recycling initiatives may be able to cut down on volumes of waste through material reuse, which is integral in creating a more sustainable approach to waste management. Therefore, these processes should be prioritised so as not to cause further damage to our fragile ecosystem.

We need more than innovative technology and rules to tackle India’s biomedical waste problems. We need the community to get involved and understand the implications of proper biomedical waste generation and disposal. We should teach healthcare workers, waste handlers, and everyone concerned with biomedical waste management about how to manage it. This will show them why it is essential to reduce the impact of biomedical waste on our environment. Getting communities involved is critical to keeping an eye on how waste is thrown away and pushing for better waste management policies. When we get people to care about the environment and take part in solving problems, India can do a better job of dealing with its biomedical waste crisis. This approach will not just help people avoid health problems now but also ensure that the next generation has a clean and safe planet.

In India’s journey towards sustainable development and ecological preservation, the issue of management of biomedical waste goes far beyond environmental concerns. It becomes critical to human health and planetary well-being. Only when we as a country strive to take care of the root causes of biomedical waste generation and disposal and adopt eco-friendly waste disposal processes can we pave the path toward a cleaner, healthier future for our country.