Healthcare risk waste and waste legislation in South Africa

Abstract

Healthcare risk waste is highly regulated in several countries by well-developed legislative frameworks; however, there is a lack of development and adherence to directives and laws in developing countries such as South Africa. Although legislation is in place, it does not always address medical waste in detail to assist with issues such as segregation, categorisation, collection, transport, treatment and final disposal practices. Incineration is still the most common means of treatment, which has shifted the focus of the Department of Environmental Affairs, the department responsible for overseeing waste disposal, to air quality monitoring. The objective of this paper is to highlight issues related to HCRW management, and to suggest a way forward, rather than to provide an in-depth analysis of the problem.