Recommendations for the management of hospital hazardous waste under principles of the circular economy in 8 public hospitals in Honduras

ABSTRACT

Honduran legislation establishes the procedures and those responsible for ensuring the environmental management of hazardous waste generated in health facilities. The objective of this research is to present a general Honduran national panorama related to the management of waste generated in health facilities. Since the beginning of 2020, health systems in the world have been put to the test due to the global health emergency caused by SARS-CoV-2. The increase in the generation of hazardous waste led the municipal authorities to make wrong decisions related to their management, using open burning as the final disposal technique, increasing the generation of dioxins and furans to mention one of the effects negatives of the selected technique, the estimates made indicate the emission of 83,616 g TEQ/y in the air and soil. The general lines that hospitals must follow to make the transition towards circularity are established. © 2021 IEEE.