Waste Management and the Perspective of a Green Hospital-A Systematic Narrative Review.
Int J Environ Res Public Health
; 19(23)2022 11 28.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2123685
ABSTRACT
The concept of a "green hospital" is used in reference to a hospital that includes the environment as part of its quality services and one that pays attention to the sustainable design of buildings. Waste disposal represents a potential risk for the environment; therefore, waste collection from healthcare centers is a key environmental issue. Our study aims to systematically review the experiences acquired in worldwide nosocomial settings related to the management of healthcare waste. Nineteen studies, selected between January 2020 and April 2022 on Scopus, MEDLINE/PubMed and Web of Science databases were included in our systematic narrative review. Operating room and hemodialysis activities seem to be the procedures most associated with waste production. To deal with waste production, the 5Rs rule (reduce, reuse, recycle, rethink and research) was a common suggested strategy to derive the maximum practical benefit while generating the minimum amount of waste. In this context, the COVID-19 pandemic slowed down the greening process of nosocomial environments. Waste management requires a multifactorial approach to deal with medical waste management, even considering the climate change that the world is experiencing. Education of health personnel and managers, regulation by governmental institutions, creation of an "environmental greening team", and awareness of stakeholders and policymakers are some of the measures needed for the greening of healthcare facilities.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Medical Waste Disposal
/
Waste Management
/
COVID-19
/
Medical Waste
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Qualitative research
/
Reviews
/
Systematic review/Meta Analysis
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Ijerph192315812
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