Management of solid waste from health services according to the National Solid Waste Policy: A study conducted in the South of the Brazil

Abstract

The management of waste from health services is considered an extremely controversial topic and widely discussed because it is mainly about contaminated materials. This study aims to analyze the waste management of health services in hospitals in a southern region of Brazil, identifying the final disposal processes, in accordance with the National Solid Waste Policy, describing the management and practices in each link of the final destination chains and estimation of the volume of post-consumer waste generated. For this, it was necessary to describe the management and practices in each link of the chains, estimate the volume of waste generated, identify the reverse logistics chains and the final destination of the post-consumer waste from the health services. In addition to evaluating the feasibility of reusing hospital waste, taking into account the technical standards and legislation present in the National Solid Waste Policy and in organizations such as the National Agency for Health Surveillance, the Brazilian Association of Technical Standards, the National Council of the Environment and the National Nuclear Energy Commission. The National Solid Waste Policy brought an information framework already contained in other norms and resolutions in force, before its publications, determining the objectives that have not yet been fully met in the investigated region.