Study of Estimating Greenhouse Gas Emission from Healthcare Solid Waste Management

Abstract

This research focused on the modernday healthcare waste management and the emission of greenhouse gases from the waste, considering the environmental pollution and the increase of medical problems and the waste due to those increments. This work comprises of the methods and calculations according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) Greenhouse Gas emission spreadsheet model. The amounts of waste generated within the facility were studied and information regarding the management was gathered. From the generation, till the disposal of the waste, the required data was gathered. The cycle of generation of the total waste from healthcare facilities from the generation up to the landfill disposal site is discussed. From the processes studied, the emission estimation is found in kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent per tonne of healthcare waste (kg CO2e/tonne of waste). Through the data collected, and calculations with the IGES software and IPCC guidelines, it was found that in reaching net emission to zero, healthcare waste management processes in the selected medical facilities should move to more fuel savings, proper recycling, and composting practices.