medical waste management business plan pdf

Medical Waste Management Recycling Business Plan [Sample Template]

By: Author Tony Martins Ajaero

Home » Business ideas » Green & Eco-friendly » Waste Recycling

Are you about starting a medical waste management & recycling company? If YES, here is a complete sample medical waste management & recycling business plan template & feasibility report you can use for FREE.

Okay, so we have considered all the requirements for starting a medical waste management & recycling company . We also took it further by analyzing and drafting a sample medical waste management & recycling marketing plan template backed up by actionable guerrilla marketing ideas for medical waste management & recycling companies.

There are diverse niche areas in the recycling industry and one of them that you can specialize in if you are interested in starting a business in this industry is the medical waste management and recycling business. This business is highly profitable because there is hardly any country or city that you won’t find hospitals and other health facilities that generate medical waste.

There are many ways a determined and diligent entrepreneur can make money and one of the ways is to establish a medical waste management company that also specializes in medical waste recycling. Medical waste is not like the normal waste that can be handled by both trained and untrained cleaners; it requires some level of professionalism to successfully run a medical waste disposal company.

Medical waste comprises of waste generated in hospitals, laboratories, dental clinics, optic clinics and diagnostic centers et al and these wastes can be harmful to humans if not properly disposed off and recycled.

You will quite agree that used disposable hand gloves, face masks, blood soaked cotton wool, placentas, needles and syringes etc. can’t just be handled with levity because of the potential danger that it can cause both humans and the environment.

So, if you are interested in starting a medical waste management and recycling company, then you should be ready to conduct thorough feasibility studies and market survey before committing your money and other resources to it. Aside from a thorough and detailed feasibility studies and market survey, one of the important documents that will aid the success of the business is a good and workable business plan .

Below is a sample medical waste management and recycling company business plan template that can help you successfully write your own business plan with little or no stress.

A Sample Medical Waste Management and Recycling Business Plan Template

1. industry overview.

The medical waste management and recycling business falls under the waste collection services industry and companies that operate in this industry basically collect hazardous and nonhazardous waste and recyclable materials.

Nonhazardous waste includes municipal solid waste (household waste), industrial and commercial waste. Transfer stations where waste is transferred from local vehicles to long-distance automobiles for transport to disposal facilities are also included in the waste management industry. It is important to state that this industry does not account for government-provided services of a similar nature.

A close study of the industry shows that the Waste Collection Services industry has benefited from the recovery of the industrial, construction and commercial business sectors. As these sectors expand, it is natural for them to produce more waste.

So also, steady demand from the residential market has helped stabilize the overall revenue generated by the waste collection services industry. Going forward, the demand for waste collection services will continue to be driven by population growth, privatization and business creation. Additionally, the industry will benefit from the public’s growing interest in the recycling industry.

The Waste Collection Services industry that medical waste management and recycling business is a part of will continue to experience growth in all parts of the world especially in developed countries. The companies with the leading market share in the industry are Republic and Waste Management.

Statistics has it that in the united states of America alone, there are about 7,676 licensed and registered waste management companies scattered all across the length and breadth of the country and they are responsible for employing about 206,928 employees.

The industry rakes in a whooping sum of $45 billion annually with an annual growth rate projected at 0.6 percent within 2011 and 2016.

A recent report published by IBISWORLD shows that the distribution of establishments in the Waste Collection Services industry across the United States largely reflects the size and distribution of the US population and economic activity.

Densely populated areas that are particularly economically active tend to generate large quantities of waste, necessitating the presence of greater numbers of industry establishments.

The report further stated that other factors that contribute to the relative concentration of industry establishments in a geographic location include the structure of the local economy and the commitment to and level of recycling. Some industries, particularly in the service sector, generate relatively little waste.

Some of the factors that encourage entrepreneurs to start their own medical waste management and recycling business could be that the business is easy to set up and they can easily get support from the government.

Despite the fact that Waste Management Business involves both government establishments and private sector, that does not in any way make the industry to be over saturated. The fact that people and industries generate wastes on a daily basis means that there is always a ready market for waste management companies.

Just like any other business, if you are able to conduct your cost analysis, market research and feasibility studies before launching your medical waste management and recycling company, you are more likely not going to struggle to grow the business because there are loads of people and hospitals and medical related businesses out there who are looking for medical waste management and recycling companies to help them handle their wastes as required by the law of the United States of America.

Over and above, starting and operating a medical waste management and recycling company can be challenging, but the truth is that it can be rewarding at the same time.

One good thing about the industry is that it is open for both big time investors who have the capacity to start the business with fleet of waste collection trucks and aspiring entrepreneurs who may want to start with just one waste collection truck.

2. Executive Summary

Blue Cross® Medical Waste Recycling, LLC is a U.S based licensed waste management company with strong bias for recycling medical waste. We have been able to secure a standard facility in an industrial estate in Dover – Delaware; a facility that is highly suitable for the kind of medical waste recycling plant that we want to build.

We are in the waste management and recycling industry to contribute our quota in saving the earth and also to compete in the highly competitive waste management and recycling industry not only in Dover – Delaware, but also throughout the United States market.

Blue Cross® Medical Waste Recycling, LLC will initially be involved in the collection and management of medical waste but will in the nearest future engage in the recycling of medical waste. Our business goal is to become one of the leading medical waste management and recycling companies in the United States of America and we will make sure that we do all we can to compete favorably with leaders in the industry.

Our workers are going to be selected from a pool of certified and highly experienced recycling engineers and technicians in and around Dover – Delaware and also from any part of the United States of America as the business grows.

We will make sure that we take all the members of our workforce through the required training that will position them to meet the expectation of the company and to compete favorably with leading medical waste management and recycling plants in the United States and throughout the globe.

At Blue Cross® Medical Waste Recycling, LLC our client’s best interest will always come first, and everything we do will be guided by our values and professional ethics. We will ensure that we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards by meeting our client’s needs precisely and completely.

Blue Cross® Medical Waste Recycling, LLC is a private registered business that will be owned by Engr. Richard McCain, a recycling engineer par excellence who graduated from Illinois Institute of Technology with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and his friend and business partner for many years Joseph Chaps (B.Sc. Business Management).

They have a combined experience that can help them build Blue Cross® Medical Waste Recycling, LLC to favorably compete with other leading recycling plants in the United States of America and throughout the globe.

3. Our Products and Services

Blue Cross® Medical Waste Recycling, LLC was established with the aim of maximizing profits in the waste management and recycling industry.

We want to compete favorably with the leading medical waste recycling plants in the United States which is why we have but in place competent quality assurance teams that will ensure that every recycled medical waste material or product that leaves our recycling plant meet with best practices in the industry.

Our products and services are listed below;

• Recycling medical waste
• Recycling other hazardous materials

4. Our Mission and Vision Statement

• Our vision is to create a standard and world class medical waste management and recycle plant whose products and brand will not only be accepted in Dover – Delaware but also in other cities in the United States of America.
• Our mission is to provide standard recycled medical materials that will assist the relevant industries in saving cost and energy and also to contribute our quota in helping save our world from unnecessary degradation caused by buried medical waste.
• We want to build a medical waste recycling plant that can favorably compete with other leading brands in the waste management and recycling industry.

Our Business Structure

Blue Cross® Medical Waste Recycling, LLC is a medical waste management and recycling company that intends starting small in Dover – Delaware, serving smaller industries (cottage companies) within our location, but hope to grow big in order to compete favorably with leading medical waste management and recycling plants in the industry both in the United States and on a global stage.

We are aware of the importance of building a solid business structure that can support the picture of the kind of world class business we want to own. This is why we are committed to only hire the best hands within our area of operation.

At Blue Cross® Medical Waste Recycling, LLC, we will ensure that we hire people that are qualified, hardworking, creative, customer centric and are ready to work to help us build a prosperous business that will benefit all our stakeholders.

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our senior management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of eight years or more as agreed by the board of trustees of the company. In view of the above, we have decided to hire qualified and competent hands to occupy the following positions;

• Chief Executive Officer
• Head, Technical Services
• Human Resources and Admin Manager
• Sales and Marketing Executive
• Plant Engineers/Technicians and Operators

Client Service Executive

Truck Drivers

5. Job Roles and Responsibilities

Chief Executive Officer – CEO:

• Increases management’s effectiveness by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, coaching, counseling, and disciplining managers; communicating values, strategies, and objectives; assigning accountabilities; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results; developing incentives; developing a climate for offering inf
• Responsible for fixing prices and signing business deals
• Responsible for providing direction for the business
• Creates, and implements the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
• Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the company
• Evaluates the success of the organization

Head, Technical Services:

• Serves as project manager of the organization; works directly with employees in the medical waste recycling plant
• Develops strategic plan by studying technological and financial opportunities; presenting assumptions; recommending objectives.
• Accomplishes subsidiary objectives by establishing plans, budgets, and results measurements; allocating resources; reviewing progress; making mid-course corrections.
• Coordinates efforts by establishing procurement, production, marketing, field, and technical services policies and practices; coordinating actions with corporate staff.
• Builds company image by collaborating with customers, government, community organizations, and employees; enforcing ethical business practices.
• Maintains quality service by establishing and enforcing organization standards.
• Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; benchmarking state-of-the-art practices; participating in professional societies.
• Ensures that the organization work in line with international best practices as it relates to medical waste recycling industry.

Admin and HR Manager

• Responsible for overseeing the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the organization
• Designs job descriptions with KPI to drive performance management for clients
• Regularly hold meetings with key stakeholders to review the effectiveness of HR Policies, Procedures and Processes
• Maintains office supplies by checking stocks; placing and expediting orders; evaluating new products.
• Ensures operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements; calling for repairs.
• Defines job positions for recruitment and managing interviewing process
• Carries out staff induction for new team members
• Responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of employees
• Responsible for arranging travel, meetings and appointments
• Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities; reading professional publications; maintaining personal networks; participating in professional organizations.
• Oversee the smooth running of the daily office activities.

Sales and Marketing Manager

• Manages external research and coordinate all the internal sources of information to retain the organizations’ best customers and attract new ones
• Models information and analyze the volumes of transactional data generated by customer
• Identifies development opportunities; follows up on development leads and contacts; participates in the structuring and financing of projects; assures the completion of development projects.
• Writing winning proposal documents, negotiate fees and rates in line with organizations’ policy
• Responsible for handling business research, market surveys and feasibility studies for clients
• Responsible for supervising implementation, advocate for the customer’s needs, and communicate with clients
• Develops, executes and evaluates new plans for expanding increase sales
• Create new markets cum businesses for the organization
• Empower and motivates the sales team to meet and surpass agreed targets

Accountant/Cashier:

• Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
• Provides managements with financial analyses, development budgets, and accounting reports; analyzes financial feasibility for the most complex proposed projects; conducts market research to forecast trends and business conditions.
• Responsible for financial forecasting and risks analysis
• Performs cash management, general ledger accounting, and financial reporting for one or more properties
• Responsible for developing and managing financial systems and policies
• Responsible for administering payrolls
• Ensures compliance with taxation legislation
• Handles all financial transactions for the company
• Serves as internal auditor for the company

Recycling Plant Engineers (2) and Technicians/Machine Operators (8)

• Responsible for installing, maintaining and repairing of all the recycling machines in the plant
• Responsible for operating recycling machines in the plant
• Responsible for sorting, shearing, shredding, torching and baling medical waste materials to be sold to downstream metal smelters for further processing.
• Operating facilities for separating and sorting used and condemned medical waste for recycling
• Handles any other job functions as it relates to recycling materials.
• Assists in loading and unloading medical waste materials and recycled materials
• Maintains a logbook of their driving activities to ensure compliance with federal regulations governing the rest and work periods for operators
• Keeps a record of vehicle inspections and make sure the truck is equipped with safety equipment, such as hazardous material placards
• Assists the transport and logistics manager in planning their route according to a pick – up and delivery schedule
• Inspect vehicles for mechanical items and safety issues and perform preventative maintenance
• Complies with hazardous waste truck driving rules and regulations (size, weight, route designations, parking, break periods etc.) as well as with company policies and procedures
• Collects and verifies delivery instructions
• Reports defects, accidents or violations
• Welcomes clients and potential clients by greeting them in person or on the telephone; answering or directing inquiries
• Ensures that all contacts with clients (e-mail, walk-In center, SMS or phone) provides the client with a personalized customer service experience of the highest level
• Through interaction with clients on the phone, uses every opportunity to build client’s interest in the company’s products and services
• Manages administrative duties assigned by the human resources and admin manager in an effective and timely manner
• Consistently stays abreast of any new information on the organizations’ products, promotional campaigns etc. to ensure accurate and helpful information is supplied to clients when they make enquiries
• Receives parcels/documents for the company
• Distributes mails in the organization
• Handles any other duties as assigned by the line manager.

6. SWOT Analysis

Blue Cross® Medical Waste Recycling, LLC engaged the services of a core professional in the area of business consulting and structuring to assist our organization in building a well – structured medical waste management and recycling business that can favorably compete in the highly competitive waste management and recycling industry in the United States and the world at large.

Part of what the business consultant did was to work with the management of our organization in conducting a comprehensive SWOT analysis for Blue Cross® Medical Waste Recycling, LLC. Here is a summary from the result of the SWOT analysis that was conducted on behalf of Blue Cross® Medical Waste Recycling, LLC;

Our core strength lies in the power of our team; our workforce. We have a team of certified and highly trained and experienced medical waste management specialists, recycling engineers and technicians / machine operators, a team with excellent qualification and experience in various niche areas in the recycling industry.

Aside from the synergy that exists in our carefully selected workforce, our product will be guided by best practices in the industry and our medical waste recycling plant is centrally positioned in an industrial estate and it is built to fit into the design of a 21 st century recycling plant.

As a new medical waste management and recycling company in Dover – Delaware, it might take some time for our organization to break into the market and gain acceptance especially from top profile clients in the already saturated and highly competitive recycling industry; that is perhaps our major weakness. Another weakness is that we may not have the required cash to pump into promoting our business the way we would want to.

• Opportunities:

The opportunities in the medical waste management and recycling industry is massive considering the number of individuals and manufacturing companies who are now switching over to alternative source of raw materials to save cost and energy.

As a medical waste management and recycling company, we are ready to take advantage of any opportunity that is available in the industry.

Aside from unfavorable government policies , one of the major threats that we are likely going to face is economic downturn.

It is a fact that economic downturn affects businesses generally. Another threat that may likely confront us is the arrival of new medical waste management and recycling plants in same location where our target market exists and who may want to adopt same Business model like us.

7. MARKET ANALYSIS

• Market Trends

One obvious trend in the waste collection services and recycling industry and of course in other recycling related industry is that players in this industry leverage on saving the earth and balancing the ecosystem to promote their business.

As a matter of fact, governments all over the world and even international Non – Government Organizations are in the forefront when it comes to campaigning in favor of recycling materials to generate raw materials for industries as against tapping virgin raw materials. This is so because it will help save cost and energy and the earth that we live in will be the better for it.

If you are a keen follower of the trends in the waste management services and recycling industry and of course any other recycling business, you will realize that players in this industry ensure that they position their recycling plants close to clients to reduce transportation costs and turnover time.

This is one of the major reasons why you can easily find medical waste management and recycling plants located in manufacturing cum industrial estates, as well as highly populated urban areas with loads of hospitals and other medical facilities.

In spite of obvious recessionary challenges and in the wake of a consumer preference shift toward green products and growth in environmental regulations that encourage recycling of medical waste, the waste collection and recycling industry is expected to experience healthy growth going forward as purchases of recycled medical products and other related products drive demand for recycled products.

Lastly, more and more manufacturing industries are beginning to see the benefits of going for recycling materials as against going for virgin raw materials in the production of their products. This is the reason why the industry is expanding and becoming more profitable and viable.

8. Our Target Market

Before starting our medical waste management and recycling business in Dover – Delaware, we conducted a market survey and feasibility studies and we are certain that there is a wide range of manufacturing/production factories that cannot successfully run their businesses without sourcing for recycled medical waste materials from us.

In view of that, we have created strategies that will enable us reach out to various manufacturing / production companies who we know can’t afford to do without our products/recycled raw materials. Below is a list of the people and organizations that we will specifically market our products and services to;

• Cotton wool manufacturing companies
• Syringe and needle manufacturing companies
• Cottage companies and Startups who would need recycled raw materials

Our Competitive Advantage

The medical waste management and recycling industry is an emerging market that is yet to be fully embraced globally, therefore there is little or no competition in the industry at the moment.

Although there is a relationship between the emerging players as they cannot do without the other. Since the industry is a multi-stage one, there is need for collaboration among the players in order to have a win-win situation for all the players.

Without a shadow of doubt, there are loads of big time investors that have stakes in the recycling industry; but one thing is certain, there is room big enough to accommodate all players.

So, if you enter the industry today, you should brace yourself for collaboration in the nearest future as soon as the recycling industry enters it boom period, this period will definitely arrive especially in the developing world when recycled products are seen in the same light as new and virgin materials.

Our Competitive Advantage lies in the power of our team; our workforce. We have a team of certified and highly trained and experienced recycling engineers and technicians/machine operators, a team with excellent qualifications and experience in various niche areas in the recycling industry.

Lastly, all our employees will be well taken care of, and their welfare package will be among the best within our category in the industry. It will enable them to be more than willing to build the business with us and help deliver our set goals and achieve all our business aims and objectives.

9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

• Sources of Income

Blue Cross® Medical Waste Recycling, LLC is established with the aim of maximizing profits in the medical waste management and recycling industry and we are going to go all the way to ensure that we do all it takes to meet and surpass the expectations of all our clients.

Blue Cross® Medical Waste Recycling, LLC will generate income by selling and supplying the following products;

• Collection for medical waste from hospitals and other medical facilities

10. Sales Forecast

One thing is certain, there would always be manufacturing/production companies who cannot but source their raw materials from medical waste recycling plants.

We are well positioned to take on the medical waste management and recycling industry and we are quite optimistic that we will meet our set target of generating enough income from the first six months of operation and grow our medical waste management and recycling company to enviable heights.

We have been able to critically examine the medical waste management and recycling market and we have analyzed our chances in the industry and we have been able to come up with the following sales forecast.

• First Fiscal Year: $240,000
• Second Fiscal Year-: $550,000
• Third Fiscal Year-: $800,000

N.B : This projection was done based on what is obtainable in the industry and with the assumption that there won’t be any major economic meltdown and there won’t be any major competitor within same location where our medical waste management and recycling plant is located or where our target market exist. Please note that the above projection might be lower and at the same time it might be higher.

• Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy

Some environmental experts stated that the world market for waste, from collection to recycling is worth around 300 billion Euros (US $410 billion). The recycling business is therefore a growing business that has futuristic benefits; there are markets in the developing world that can be tapped into especially in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

We are mindful of the fact that there are growing competitions in the medical waste and recycling industry especially in the United States; hence we have been able to hire some of the best marketing experts to handle our sales and marketing.

Our sales and marketing team will be recruited based on their vast experience in the medical waste management and recycling industry and they will be trained on a regular basis so as to be well equipped to meet their targets and the overall business goal of Blue Cross® Medical Waste Recycling, LLC.

Our corporate goal is to grow Blue Cross® Medical Waste Recycling, LLC to become one of the top 5 medical waste management and recycling brands in the United States of America which is why we have mapped out strategy that will help us take advantage of the available market and grow to become a major force to reckon with not only in Dover – Delaware but also in other cities in the United States of America.

Blue Cross® Medical Waste Recycling, LLC is set to make use of the following marketing and sales strategies to attract clients;

• Introduce our medical waste management and recycling company by sending introductory letters alongside our brochure to manufacturing/production companies and other key stake holders in the manufacturing industry.
• Advertise our business in relevant business magazines, newspapers, TV and radio station.
• List our business on yellow pages ads (local directories)
• Attend relevant international and local expos, seminars, and business fairs et al
• Create different packages for different category of clients in order to work with their budgets and still deliver recycled medical materials
• Leverage on the internet to promote our business
• Engage direct marketing approach
• Join local chambers of commerce and industries with the aim of marketing our products
• Encourage word of mouth marketing from loyal and satisfied clients

11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy

We have been able to work with our in – house brand and publicity consultants to help us map out publicity and advertising strategies that will help us walk our way into the heart of our target market.

We are set to become the number one choice for manufacturing/production companies in the whole of Dover – Delaware and beyond which is why we have made provisions for effective publicity and advertisement of our medical waste management and recycling company.

Below are the platforms we intend to leverage on to promote and advertise Blue Cross® Medical Waste Recycling, LLC;

• Place adverts on both print and electronic media platforms
• Sponsor relevant community based events/programs
• Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, twitter, YouTube, Google + et al to promote our products
• Install our billboards in strategic industrial locations all around Dover – Delaware
• Engage in roadshows from time to time in targeted industrial estates
• Distribute our fliers and handbills in target areas
• Contact manufacturing/production companies and inform them of Blue Cross® Medical Waste Recycling, LLC and the recycle materials we sell
• List our company in local directories/yellow pages
• Advertise our business in our official website and employ strategies that will help us pull traffic to the site
• Ensure that all our staff members wear our branded shirts and all our vehicles / trucks are well branded with our company logo et al.

12. Our Pricing Strategy

At Blue Cross® Medical Waste Recycling, LLC we will keep the prices of our recycled medical waste materials and medical waste collection fees below the average market rate by keeping our overhead low and by collecting payment in advance from hospitals, other medical facilities and manufacturing companies who would hire our products and services. In addition, we will also offer special discounted rates to all our customers at regular intervals.

• Payment Options

The payment policy adopted by Blue Cross® Medical Waste Recycling, LLC is all inclusive because we are quite aware that different customers prefer different payment options as it suits them but at the same time, we will ensure that we abide by the financial rules and regulation of the United States of America.

Here are the payment options that Blue Cross® Medical Waste Recycling, LLC will make available to her clients;

• Payment via bank transfer
• Payment with cash
• Payment via online bank transfer
• Payment via mobile money
• Payment via Point of Sales Machines (POS Machines)
• Payment via check
• Payment via bank draft

In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will enable our clients make payment for our products and services without any stress on their part. Our bank account numbers will be made available on our website and promotional materials.

13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)

In setting up any business, the amount or cost will depend on the approach and scale you want to undertake. If you intend to go big by renting a place, then you would need a good amount of capital as you would need to ensure that your employees are well taken care of, and that your facility is conducive enough for workers to be creative and productive.

This means that the start-up can either be low or high depending on your goals, vision and aspirations for your business. The tools and equipment that will be used are nearly the same cost everywhere, and any difference in prices would be minimal and can be overlooked.

As for the detailed cost analysis for starting a standard medical waste management and recycling plant; it might differ in other countries due to the value of their money. However, this is what it would cost us to set up Blue Cross® Medical Waste Recycling, LLC in the United of America;

• Business incorporating fees in the United States of America will cost – $750
• The budget for Liability insurance, permits and license will cost – $3,500
• Acquiring facility that will accommodate the design of medical waste recycling plant we want to build will cost – $120,000
• The amount required to purchase the needed medical waste recycling equipment and machines – $80,000
• Equipping the office (computers, printers, projectors, markers, servers/internet facility, furniture, telephones, filing cabinets, and electronics) will cost – $30,000
• Amount required to purchase the needed software applications to run our business – $3,500
• Launching an official Website will cost – $500
• Amount need to pay bills and staff members for at least 2 to 3 months – $70,000
• Amount needed to acquire pick – up trucks – $50,000
• Additional Expenditure such as Business cards, Signage, Adverts and Promotions will cost – $5,000

Going by the report from the market research and feasibility studies conducted, we will need about three hundred and fifty thousand ( 350,000 ) U.S. dollars to successfully set up a medium scale but medical waste management and recycling plant in the United States of America.

Generating Startup Capital for Blue Cross® Medical Waste Recycling, LLC

Blue Cross® Medical Waste Recycling, LLC is a business that will be owned and managed by Engr. Richard McCain and his friend Joseph Chaps. They are the sole financial of the business which is why they decided to restrict the sourcing of the startup capital for the business to just three major sources.

• Generate part of the startup capital from personal savings and sale of their stocks
• Generate part of the startup capital from friends and other extended family members
• Generate a larger chunk of the startup capital from the bank (loan facility)

N.B: We have been able to generate about $100,000 ( Personal savings $70,000 and soft loan from family members $30,000 ) and we are at the final stages of obtaining a loan facility of $250,000 from our bank. All the papers and document has been duly signed and submitted, the loan has been approved and any moment from now our account will be credited.

14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy

The future of a business lies in the number of loyal customers that they have, the capacity and competence of their employees, their investment strategy and the business structure. If all of these factors are missing from a business, then it won’t be too long before the business close shop.

One of our major goals of starting Blue Cross® Medical Waste Recycling, LLC is to build a business that will survive off its own cash flow without the need for injecting finance from external sources once the business is officially running.

We know that one of the ways of gaining approval and winning customers over is to sell our recycled materials a little bit cheaper than what is obtainable in the market and we are well prepared to survive on lower profit margin for a while.

Blue Cross® Medical Waste Recycling, LLC will make sure that the right foundation, structures and processes are put in place to ensure that our staff welfare are well taken of. Our company’s corporate culture is designed to drive our business to greater heights and training and re-training of our workforce is at the top burner.

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of ten years or more. We know that if that is put in place, we will be able to successfully hire and retain the best hands we can get in the industry; they will be more committed to help us build the business of our dreams.

Check List/Milestone

• Business Name Availability Check: Completed
• Business Incorporation: Completed
• Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts various banks in the United States: Completed
• Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
• Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
• Securing a standard facility to build a standard and modern medical waste recycling plant: Completed
• Application for business license and permit: Completed
• Purchase of all forms of Insurance for the Business: Completed
• Conducting Feasibility Studies: Completed
• Generating part of the startup capital from the founders: Completed
• Writing of Business Plan: Completed
• Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
• Drafting of Contract Documents: In Progress
• Design of Logo for the business: Completed
• Purchase of repair and installation tools and equipment: Completed
• Graphic Designs and Printing of Promotional Materials: Completed
• Recruitment of employees: In Progress
• Purchase of the needed recycling machines, equipment and trucks: In Progress
• Purchase of the needed furniture, office equipment, software applications, electronic appliances and facility facelift: In progress
• Creating Official Website for the business: In Progress
• Creating Awareness for the business: In Progress
• Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement: In Progress
• Establishing business relationship with vendors and key players in healthcare industries and pick – up points for medical waste materials: In Progress

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Waste Management Business Plan PDF Example

• March 5, 2024
• Business Plan

Creating a comprehensive business plan is crucial for launching and running a successful waste management business. This plan serves as your roadmap, detailing your vision, operational strategies, and financial plan. It helps establish your waste management business’s identity, navigate the competitive market, and secure funding for growth.

This article not only breaks down the critical components of a waste management business plan, but also provides an example of a business plan to help you craft your own.

Whether you’re an experienced entrepreneur or new to the service industry, this guide, complete with a business plan example, lays the groundwork for turning your waste management business concept into reality. Let’s dive in!

Our waste management business plan is structured to address all key components necessary for a detailed and strategic approach. It outlines the company’s operational methods, marketing strategies , market environment, competitors, management team, and financial projections.

• Executive Summary : Offers an overview of the waste management company’s business model, emphasizing its commitment to providing comprehensive waste management solutions, market analysis , management expertise, and financial strategy.
• Operations & Service Area Coverage: Discusses the operational scope, including the geographical coverage of services, types of waste managed, and the company’s operational facilities and capabilities.
• Services & Rates: Details the waste management services offered, such as collection, recycling, hazardous waste handling, and their associated pricing structure.
• Key Stats: Provides essential statistics that illustrate the size and growth of the waste management industry, highlighting the ongoing demand for such services.
• Key Trends: Highlights significant trends in waste management, including technological advancements, regulatory changes, and shifts towards sustainability.
• Key Competitors : Evaluates major competitors in the market, detailing their services and how the company differentiates itself from these competitors.
• SWOT Analysis : Conducts a thorough analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, offering strategic insights for the company’s growth.
• Marketing Plan : Specifies the marketing strategies designed to promote the waste management services and establish long-term relationships with clients.
• Timeline : Sets key milestones for the waste management company, outlining the path from startup to expansion and operational excellence.
• Management: Introduces the management team, highlighting their experience, roles, and contributions to driving the company towards its goals.
• Financial Plan: Forecasts the financial performance of the waste management company, detailing expected revenue streams, profitability, and the financial strategy to ensure sustainability and growth.

Waste Management Business Plan

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Executive Summary

The Executive Summary introduces your waste management business plan, offering a concise overview of your company and its services. It should detail your market positioning, the range of waste collection, recycling, and disposal services you offer, its location, capacity, and an outline of day-to-day operations. 

This section should also explore how your waste management business will integrate into the local market, including the number of direct competitors within the area, identifying who they are, along with your company’s unique selling points that differentiate it from these competitors. 

Furthermore, you should include information about the management and co-founding team, detailing their roles and contributions to the company’s success. Additionally, a summary of your financial projections, including revenue and profits over the next five years, should be presented here to provide a clear picture of your company’s financial plan.

Make sure to cover here _ Business Overview _ Market Overview _ Management Team _ Financial Plan

Dive deeper into Executive Summary

Business Overview

For a waste management business, the Business Overview section can be concisely divided into 2 main slides:

Operations & Service Area Coverage

Detail the operational aspects of your waste management business, emphasizing the efficiency, reliability, and environmental compliance of your services. Mention the geographical scope of your service area, highlighting its extent and the variety of communities or businesses you serve.

Explain why your operations are strategically located to optimize service delivery and logistical efficiency, such as proximity to major highways or waste processing facilities. Discuss how your operational capabilities and service area coverage position your business to meet the needs of your target market effectively.

Services & Rates

Outline the range of waste management services offered, from regular residential waste collection to specialized services like recycling, hazardous waste disposal, or commercial waste management solutions.

Detail your pricing strategy , ensuring it is competitive and reflects the value of the services you provide, taking into consideration factors like service frequency, waste type, and volume. Highlight any unique service offerings, subscription models, or incentive programs for waste reduction and recycling that distinguish your business from competitors, promoting sustainability and customer engagement.

Make sure to cover here _ Operations & Service Area Coverage _ Services & Rates

Market Overview

Industry size & growth.

In the Market Overview of your waste management business plan, begin by analyzing the size of the waste management industry and its growth potential. This exploration is vital for grasping the market’s breadth and pinpointing opportunities for expansion.

Key market trends

Next, delve into recent trends within the waste management sector, such as the escalating demand for sustainable and eco-friendly waste disposal methods, advancements in recycling technologies, and the increasing importance of waste-to-energy solutions.

For instance, underscore the growing consumer and corporate emphasis on reducing environmental impact, which has led to a heightened demand for services capable of managing recyclable, compostable, and hazardous waste more effectively.

Key competitors

Following that, assess the competitive landscape, which encompasses a variety of players from large-scale waste management corporations to local recycling centers, and emerging waste-to-energy startups. Highlight what sets your business apart, whether it’s through innovative waste processing technologies, superior customer service, comprehensive waste solutions, or a focus on sustainability.

Make sure to cover here _ Industry size & growth _ Key competitors _ Key market trends

Dive deeper into Key competitors

Begin by executing a SWOT analysis for your waste management business, pinpointing Strengths (such as advanced recycling technology and comprehensive waste solutions), Weaknesses (including high initial investment costs or stringent regulatory compliance), Opportunities (for instance, the growing emphasis on sustainable practices and green energy), and Threats (such as shifts in environmental policies that could impact operational costs).

Marketing Plan

Then, formulate a marketing plan that details strategies for engaging and expanding your customer base through focused advertising campaigns, service promotions, an active online presence, and participation in environmental initiatives. Highlight how these efforts will not only raise awareness of your waste management solutions but also underscore your commitment to sustainability and community well-being.

Conclude with a comprehensive timeline that maps out key milestones, from the launch of your waste management services and marketing initiatives to customer acquisition and potential service expansion. This timeline should serve as a roadmap, guiding your business towards achieving its short and long-term goals with clarity and strategic focus.

Make sure to cover here _ SWOT _ Marketing Plan _ Timeline

Dive deeper into SWOT

Dive deeper into Marketing Plan

The Management section focuses on the waste management business’s management and their direct roles in daily operations and strategic direction. This part is crucial for understanding who is responsible for making key decisions and driving the waste management business toward its financial and operational goals.

For your waste management business plan, list the core team members, their specific responsibilities, and how their expertise supports the business.

Financial Plan

The Financial Plan section is a comprehensive analysis of your financial projections for revenue, expenses, and profitability. It lays out your waste management business’s approach to securing funding, managing cash flow, and achieving breakeven.

This section typically includes detailed forecasts for the first 5 years of operation, highlighting expected revenue, operating costs and capital expenditures.

For your waste management business plan, provide a snapshot of your financial statement (profit and loss, balance sheet, cash flow statement), as well as your key assumptions (e.g. number of customers and prices, expenses, etc.).

Make sure to cover here _ Profit and Loss _ Cash Flow Statement _ Balance Sheet _ Use of Funds

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How to Write A Waste Management Business Plan?

Writing a waste management business plan is a crucial step toward the success of your business. Here are the key steps to consider when writing a business plan:

1. Executive Summary

An executive summary is the first section planned to offer an overview of the entire business plan. However, it is written after the entire business plan is ready and summarizes each section of your plan.

Here are a few key components to include in your executive summary:

Introduce your Business:

Start your executive summary by briefly introducing your business to your readers.

Market Opportunity:

Waste management services:.

Highlight the waste management services you offer your clients. The USPs and differentiators you offer are always a plus.

Marketing & Sales Strategies:

Financial highlights:, call to action:.

Ensure your executive summary is clear, concise, easy to understand, and jargon-free.

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2. Business Overview

The business overview section of your business plan offers detailed information about your company. The details you add will depend on how important they are to your business. Yet, business name, location, business history, and future goals are some of the foundational elements you must consider adding to this section:

Business Description:

Describe your business in this section by providing all the basic information:

Describe what kind of waste management company you run and the name of it. You may specialize in one of the following waste management businesses:

• Recycling centers
• Waste collection & hauling
• Composting facilities
• Hazardous waste management
• Waste-to-energy plants
• Landfill management
• Solid waste management
• Medical waste management
• Waste-consulting & advisory services
• Describe the legal structure of your waste management business, whether it is a sole proprietorship, LLC, partnership, or others.
• Explain where your business is located and why you selected the place.

Mission Statement:

Business history:.

If you’re an established waste management service provider, briefly describe your business history, like—when it was founded, how it evolved over time, etc.

Future Goals

This section should provide a thorough understanding of your business, its history, and its future plans. Keep this section engaging, precise, and to the point.

3. Market Analysis

The market analysis section of your business plan should offer a thorough understanding of the industry with the target market, competitors, and growth opportunities. You should include the following components in this section.

Target market:

Start this section by describing your target market. Define your ideal customer and explain what types of services they prefer. Creating a buyer persona will help you easily define your target market to your readers.

Market size and growth potential:

Describe your market size and growth potential and whether you will target a niche or a much broader market.

Competitive Analysis:

Market trends:.

Analyze emerging trends in the industry, such as technology disruptions, changes in customer behavior or preferences, etc. Explain how your business will cope with all the trends.

Regulatory Environment:

Here are a few tips for writing the market analysis section of your waste management business plan:

• Conduct market research, industry reports, and surveys to gather data.
• Provide specific and detailed information whenever possible.
• Illustrate your points with charts and graphs.
• Write your business plan keeping your target audience in mind.

4. Products And Services

The product and services section should describe the specific services and products that will be offered to customers. To write this section should include the following:

Describe your services:

Mention the waste management services your business will offer. This list may include services like,

• Waste collection services
• Recycling services
• Composting services
• Waste-to-energy

Describe each service:

Provide a detailed description of each service you provide and the types of that particular service you provide.

Quality measures:

This section should explain how you maintain quality standards and consistently provide the highest quality service.

Additional Services:

In short, this section of your waste management plan must be informative, precise, and client-focused. By providing a clear and compelling description of your offerings, you can help potential investors and readers understand the value of your business.

5. Sales And Marketing Strategies

Writing the sales and marketing strategies section means a list of strategies you will use to attract and retain your clients. Here are some key elements to include in your sales & marketing plan:

Unique Selling Proposition (USP):

Define your business’s USPs depending on the market you serve, the equipment you use, and the unique services you provide. Identifying USPs will help you plan your marketing strategies.

Pricing Strategy:

Marketing strategies:, sales strategies:, customer retention:.

Overall, this section of your waste management business plan should focus on customer acquisition and retention.

Have a specific, realistic, and data-driven approach while planning sales and marketing strategies for your waste management business, and be prepared to adapt or make strategic changes in your strategies based on feedback and results.

6. Operations Plan

The operations plan section of your business plan should outline the processes and procedures involved in your business operations, such as staffing requirements and operational processes. Here are a few components to add to your operations plan:

Staffing & Training:

Operational process:, equipment & machinery:.

Include the list of equipment and machinery required for waste management, such as waste collecting vehicles, waste sorting & processing equipment, recycling equipment, hazardous waste handling equipment, landfill equipment, etc.

Adding these components to your operations plan will help you lay out your business operations, which will eventually help you manage your business effectively.

7. Management Team

The management team section provides an overview of your waste management business’s management team. This section should provide a detailed description of each manager’s experience and qualifications, as well as their responsibilities and roles.

Founders/CEO:

Key managers:.

Introduce your management and key members of your team, and explain their roles and responsibilities.

Organizational structure:

Compensation plan:, advisors/consultants:.

Mentioning advisors or consultants in your business plans adds credibility to your business idea.

This section should describe the key personnel for your waste management services, highlighting how you have the perfect team to succeed.

8. Financial Plan

Your financial plan section should provide a summary of your business’s financial projections for the first few years. Here are some key elements to include in your financial plan:

Profit & loss statement:

Cash flow statement:, balance sheet:, break-even point:.

Determine and mention your business’s break-even point—the point at which your business costs and revenue will be equal.

Financing Needs:

Be realistic with your financial projections, and make sure you offer relevant information and evidence to support your estimates.

9. Appendix

The appendix section of your plan should include any additional information supporting your business plan’s main content, such as market research, legal documentation, financial statements, and other relevant information.

• Add a table of contents for the appendix section to help readers easily find specific information or sections.
• In addition to your financial statements, provide additional financial documents like tax returns, a list of assets within the business, credit history, and more. These statements must be the latest and offer financial projections for at least the first three or five years of business operations.
• Provide data derived from market research, including stats about the industry, user demographics, and industry trends.
• Include any legal documents such as permits, licenses, and contracts.
• Include any additional documentation related to your business plan, such as product brochures, marketing materials, operational procedures, etc.

Use clear headings and labels for each section of the appendix so that readers can easily find the necessary information.

Remember, the appendix section of your waste management business plan should only include relevant and important information supporting your plan’s main content.

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This sample waste management business plan will provide an idea for writing a successful waste management plan, including all the essential components of your business.

After this, if you still need clarification about writing an investment-ready business plan to impress your audience, download our waste management business plan pdf .

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Frequently asked questions, why do you need a waste management business plan.

A business plan is an essential tool for anyone looking to start or run a successful waste management business. It helps to get clarity in your business, secures funding, and identifies potential challenges while starting and growing your business.

Overall, a well-written plan can help you make informed decisions, which can contribute to the long-term success of your waste management company.

How to get funding for your waste management business?

There are several ways to get funding for your waste management business, but self-funding is one of the most efficient and speedy funding options. Other options for funding are:

• Bank loan – You may apply for a loan in government or private banks.
• Small Business Administration (SBA) loan – SBA loans and schemes are available at affordable interest rates, so check the eligibility criteria before applying for it.
• Crowdfunding – The process of supporting a project or business by getting a lot of people to invest in your business, usually online.
• Angel investors – Getting funds from angel investors is one of the most sought startup options.

Apart from all these options, there are small business grants available, check for the same in your location and you can apply for it.

Where to find business plan writers for your waste management business?

There are many business plan writers available, but no one knows your business and ideas better than you, so we recommend you write your waste management business plan and outline your vision as you have in your mind.

What is the easiest way to write your waste management business plan?

A lot of research is necessary for writing a business plan, but you can write your plan most efficiently with the help of any waste management business plan example and edit it as per your need. You can also quickly finish your plan in just a few hours or less with the help of our business plan software .

How do I write a good market analysis in a waste management business plan?

Market analysis is one of the key components of your business plan that requires deep research and a thorough understanding of your industry. We can categorize the process of writing a good market analysis section into the following steps:

• Stating the objective of your market analysis—e.g., investor funding.
• Industry study—market size, growth potential, market trends, etc.
• Identifying target market—based on user behavior and demographics.
• Analyzing direct and indirect competitors.
• Calculating market share—understanding TAM, SAM, and SOM.
• Knowing regulations and restrictions
• Organizing data and writing the first draft.

Writing a marketing analysis section can be overwhelming, but using ChatGPT for market research can make things easier.

What's the importance of a marketing strategy in a waste management business plan?

Marketing strategy is a key component of your waste management business plan. Whether it is about achieving certain business goals or helping your investors understand your plan to maximize their return on investment—an impactful marketing strategy is the way to do it!

Here are a few pointers to help you understand the importance of having an impactful marketing strategy:

• It provides your business an edge over your competitors.
• It helps investors better understand your business and growth potential.
• It helps you develop products with the best profit potential.
• It helps you set accurate pricing for your products or services.

About the Author

Vinay Kevadiya

Vinay Kevadiya is the founder and CEO of Upmetrics, the #1 business planning software. His ultimate goal with Upmetrics is to revolutionize how entrepreneurs create, manage, and execute their business plans. He enjoys sharing his insights on business planning and other relevant topics through his articles and blog posts. Read more

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Effective Medical Waste Management for Sustainable Green Healthcare

Sang m. lee.

1 College of Business, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA

2 College of Business Administration, Inha University, Incheon 22212, Korea

Associated Data

The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author.

This study examines the importance of medical waste management activities for developing a sustainable green healthcare environment. This study applied a multiple methodological approach as follows. A thorough review of the literature was performed to delineate the factors that have been explored for reducing medical waste; hospital staff who handle medical waste were surveyed to obtain their opinions on these factors; the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was applied to determine the priorities among the identified key factors; and experts’ opinions were consulted to assess the actual applicability of the results derived by the AHP. The study identified the following factors as the most important: medical waste management (26.6%), operational management issues (21.7%), training for medical waste management procedures (17.8%), raising awareness (17.5%), and environmental assessment (16.4%). This study analyzed the contributing factors to the generation of medical waste based on the data collected from medical staff and the AHP for developing a sustainable green healthcare environment. The study results provide theoretical and practical implications for implementing effective medical waste management toward a sustainable green healthcare environment.

1. Introduction

The impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic on people’s daily life, the society, economy, and the environment involve trade-offs in many aspects. Technological innovations (e.g., rapid testing, tracking infected persons, online-based remote work and education, etc.) have been effective in preventing the spread of the pandemic. On the other hand, they also have drawbacks, such as waste treatment issues with the increased use of disposable products and inequalities due to social and digital divides. In particular, the increased volume of plastic waste due to COVID-19-related practices has significant ramifications that pose challenges with respect to ensuring a sustainable environment [ 1 , 2 ].

Penga et al. [ 3 ] predicted that 193 countries worldwide would generate an additional 8.4 million tons of plastic waste due to COVID-19-related activities, a 10% increase from the baseline since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the disease a global pandemic in March 2020. Of the additional plastic waste generated during the pandemic, approximately 87.4% was discharged from healthcare institutions, including personal protective equipment (such as masks, sanitary gloves, and face shields), online packaging materials (due to increased online shopping), and virus test kits, accounting for 7.6%, 4.7%, and 0.3%, respectively. Geographically, waste generation was the highest in Asia (46.3%), followed by Europe (23.8%), South America (16.4%), Africa (7.9%), and North America (5.6%) [ 3 ]. In a simulation study of the dynamics of COVID-19-related plastic waste, Peng et al. [ 3 ] predicted that 3800 to 25,900 tons of debris have been released into the sea. With approximately 280 million confirmed COVID-19 cases at the end of 2021, the volume of medical waste is likely to be approximately 11 million tons, with about 34,000 tons being released into the sea [ 4 ].

In South Korea, medical waste generated due to COVID-19 is classified as “quarantine medical waste” according to the “Wastes Control Act” of 1999, and includes most items used by healthcare workers in COVID-19 treatment institutions, such as screening clinics [ 5 ]. With the rapidly increasing volume of medical waste during the pandemic, waste treatment facilities in South Korea have struggled despite operating at full capacity [ 5 ]. Furthermore, because massive amounts of medical waste are routinely incinerated, its environmental impact is not tomorrow’s problem, but an urgent current issue. In addition, the consequences of delays in collecting and/or disposing of medical waste could threaten the health of patients, guardians, healthcare workers in hospitals, and community residents. Therefore, joint efforts of healthcare providers and local communities are necessary to develop an environmentally sustainable healthcare system. As climate change, air pollution, plastic waste, and medical waste threaten human health and environmental sustainability, establishing an eco-friendly medical system can provide a better ecosystem and potentially offer long-term benefits to human health [ 2 , 6 ].

Considering infectious diseases caused by environmental pollution, there is an urgent need to develop a healthier ecosystem. Healthcare institutions generally use disposable products to minimize infection while treating patients. This strategy seems logical to prevent the spread of COVID-19. However, only 15% of all medical waste is considered “hazardous waste” which may be infectious or toxic, whereas 85% of the hospital-generated waste is general and non-hazardous waste, comprising food containers, packaging, and medical supplies (i.e., gloves and masks, among others) used in the screening process for patients without contagious diseases [ 6 , 7 ]. Different and more cost-effective approaches can be used to reduce medical waste from healthcare institutions, such as appropriately sorting the discharged waste and promoting the use of systems that employ high-temperature/pressure and chemical processes to sterilize medical equipment and materials. Great Ormond Street Hospital in London saved approximately USD 120,000 in expenses by eliminating 21 tons of plastic waste through training employees on the use of disposable plastic gloves [ 6 ].

Several initiatives and studies have investigated various aspects of medical waste, including the Medical Wastes Act [ 8 ]; treatment methods and the current status of waste management [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ]; knowledge, attitudes, and practices of medical staff with respect to medical waste e.g., [ 1 , 15 , 16 ]; and COVID-19-related medical waste e.g., [ 3 , 6 , 17 ]. However, limited research is available on the sources of medical waste (e.g., healthcare institutions). Environmental protection and cost reduction through medical waste reduction depend on the activities and actions of related organizations and medical staff on the front lines of medical waste discharge. In addition, developing plans to initiate a change through healthcare workers can help establish a foundation for creating an eco-friendly healthcare environment.

The purpose of this study is to propose an operational plan for the effective management and treatment of medical waste generated in hospitals. Irrespective of how optimal a system or policy may be, an effective medical waste management program should address the following: (1) identify activities that can be implemented by employees who are generating medical waste; (2) determine the priority among these various activities; and (3) define the support needed at the organizational level to implement these activities.

To accomplish the study objectives, a thorough review was undertaken on relevant previous studies on the approaches and factors that were explored for reducing and managing medical waste. Second, to apply the AHP to determine the importance of the identified key factors, a survey of 16 hospital staff with more than 3 years of experience in handling medical waste was conducted to obtain their opinions on these factors for a pairwise analysis. Third, the AHP was applied to determine the priorities among the identified factors. Finally, three experts in medical waste management were interviewed to gain additional insights about the results of AHP and their actual application feasibilities. The study results can be used as a framework for developing a sustainable green healthcare ecosystem.

This paper is organized as follows. Section 2 reviews the relevant literature on medical waste and sustainable medical waste management. In Section 3 , research design is presented for identifying and assessing the importance of the key factors that contribute to the generation of medical waste. Section 4 provides the AHP results and the opinions of experts on application feasibility of the AHP results. Section 5 summarizes the results of the study, implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research.

2. Literature Review

2.1. medical waste.

Healthcare services enrich and prolong people’s lives through health promotion and disease prevention and treatment. However, healthcare services generate a large amount of medical waste in the process; 20% of such waste poses health risks, such as infection and exposure to hazardous chemicals or radiation [ 18 ].

The World Health Organization [ 19 ] provided the guidelines for medical waste management in its report “Safe management of waste from healthcare activities”. In these guidelines, the WHO defined healthcare waste as “all the waste generated by healthcare facilities, medical laboratories, and biomedical research facilities, as well as waste from minor or scattered sources”. ICRC [ 18 ] added that “medical waste covers all wastes produced in healthcare or diagnostic activities”. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) [ 20 ] defined medical waste as “a subset of wastes generated at healthcare facilities, such as hospitals, physicians’ offices, dental practices, blood banks, and veterinary hospitals/clinics, as well as medical research facilities and laboratories”. In Article 2, No. 5, of the “Wastes Control Act” of South Korea, medical wastes are defined as “wastes discharged from public health and medical institutions, veterinary clinics, testing and inspection institutions, and other similar institutions, such as parts and extracts of human bodies and carcasses of laboratory animals, which may cause harm to human bodies by infection or otherwise and need to be specially controlled for public health and environmental conservation”. Although international agencies present diverse definitions of medical waste, their guidelines commonly include “waste generated from healthcare facilities” [ 18 , 19 , 20 ]. Hossain et al. [ 11 ] defined health care waste as “all types of waste produced in health facilities such as hospitals, health centers, and pharmaceutical shops”. In this study, medical waste refers to the waste generated during patient treatment processes (see Table 1 ).

Medical waste can be classified as hazardous or non-hazardous (general) waste. While non-hazardous medical waste does not pose a specific hazard, hazardous medical waste can cause diseases and environmental hazards [ 19 , 21 ]. The WHO [ 7 ] classifies medical waste into eight categories: ‘infectious waste, pathological waste, sharps waste, chemical waste, pharmaceutical waste, cytotoxic waste, radioactive waste, and non-hazardous or general waste’. As listed in Table 1 , although the definition of medical waste differs slightly between institutions and countries, its classifications and contents are similar. Table 1 provides a detailed summary of the separation and treatment of infectious medical waste by organizations, countries, and date.

Medical waste classifications and related details.

2.2. Medical Waste Management for a Sustainable Healthcare Environment

According to the WHO [ 7 ], 15% of all medical waste generated is hazardous. In high-income countries, 0.5 kg of hazardous medical waste is generated per hospital bed every day, whereas it is 0.2 kg in low-income countries. During the COVID-19 pandemic, medical waste generation has accelerated. According to the United Nations Environment Program [ 26 ], the volume of medical waste generated from medical facilities related to COVID-19 is 3.4 kg per person and approximately 2.5 kg per hospital bed each day worldwide. During the pandemic, China generated approximately 469 tons of medical waste per day [ 3 ]. Japan, India, and Indonesia generated 876, 608, and 290 tons per day, respectively [ 26 ], while South Korea generated 476 tons per day [ 27 ].

Hassan et al. [ 10 ] argued that medical waste problems are caused because of the lack of awareness and willingness on the part of healthcare employees and ambiguous policies and laws about proper management of medical waste. Hossain et al. [ 11 ] emphasized that inappropriate behavior of employees and improper disposal methods of medical waste in hospitals can increase serious health risks and environmental pollution due to the contagious nature of the waste. Therefore, healthcare institutions require an operational strategy to train stakeholders involved in medical waste generation to manage this critical problem.

Although previous research on medical waste management focused primarily on the treatment of hazardous waste, the emphasis has recently shifted to operational strategies on managing the disposal of all types of medical waste. The reason for this trend is that the safe handling and disposal of all medical waste is a key step to preventing potential hazards (disease or injury) and pollution of the environment [ 9 ]. Although the transmission of blood-borne viruses and respiratory and other infections through inappropriate medical waste disposal has yet to be explored completely [ 19 ], the potential risks to human health and the environmental issue are obviously high [ 15 ]. Thus, medical waste management is now regarded as a critical component of high-quality medical services [ 28 ]. This change is a result of reports which have demonstrated how environmental pollutants generated during waste treatment are threatening the in which we live ecosystem and human health. Penga et al. [ 3 ] claimed that over eight million tons of COVID-19-pandemic-related plastic waste had been generated globally, with more than 25,000 tons discharged into the sea. This could cause adverse long-term effects on the marine environment.

Windfeld and Brooks [ 8 ] suggested the need for a standardized classification method to educate medical workers in the efficient management of medical waste. Thakur et al. ([ 29 ], p. 357) presented six dimensions of medical waste management practices as ‘experience, relationship, environmental factors, technology and qualification, economic factors, and firm’s capabilities.’ Healthcare institutions should develop medical waste management plans which include the daily collection, processing, separation, and packaging of medical waste, as well as the implementation of regular monitoring and training programs [ 11 , 15 , 30 , 31 ]. The effective operation and maintenance of medical equipment and facilities can help prevent the frequent generation of medical waste. For example, the life cycle of medical equipment can be extended through proper maintenance. Therefore, the appropriate operation and maintenance require continuous management activities, such as personnel training and supply of appropriate materials and spare parts.

To create a sustainable medical environment through the reduction in and management of medical waste, an appropriate organizational culture must be developed, encouraging the participation of all stakeholders who partake in medical waste generation [ 1 ]. This also requires the involvement and cooperation of all stakeholders, including the various occupations/departments within the healthcare institution, as well as the collaboration of patients, guardians, subcontractors, and communities [ 32 ]. Healthcare institutions should develop an integrated approach for medical waste management [ 29 , 30 ]. Therefore, one specific department should not bear the complete responsibility for medical waste reduction; instead, these activities should be practiced by all hospital members throughout the course of their work. For instance, the department in charge of medical waste disposal should practice proper separation to prevent general waste from being included in medical waste. Healthcare departments should attempt to reduce emissions from infectious waste and single-use products. Through these general activities, healthcare institutions can reduce medical waste generation and related operating costs, thus developing a sustainable healthcare service environment.

2.3. Operational Strategies for Effective Medical Waste Management

A well-prepared action plan can reduce the amount of medical waste without decreasing the quality of medical services provided by healthcare workers. Kwikiriza et al. [ 16 ] emphasized that clinical staff need to be fully aware of their critical role in effective medical waste management, because they are the ones who sort the waste at the point of generation. They also suggested that non-clinical staff tend to have limited awareness and experience about the treatment, segregation, and/or knowledge of medical waste management. To implement appropriate measures or activities to reduce the generation of medical waste in their daily operations, healthcare providers should have accurate information about the volume of medical waste being generated by them. Reducing the volume of waste that requires treatment is an obvious approach to lower the cost of waste management and improve the operational efficiency of the organization. Efforts to identify and eliminate unnecessary waste generation sources can positively impact the efficacy of developing a sustainable healthcare ecosystem. Therefore, the efficiency of medical waste management can be improved through correct waste classification and sorting at the point of material use.

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) introduced the sustainable materials management system, which promotes efficient resource management throughout the entire lifecycle of a resource based on existing waste-management-oriented policies [ 33 ]. The G7 Toyama Environment Ministers’ Meeting in 2016 introduced a resource efficiency policy for promoting the efficient use of resources for sustainable development [ 33 ]. To implement a resource recycling economy, Kim et al. [ 34 ] suggested the following approaches: (1) suppression of waste generation; (2) waste reuse; (3) promotion of waste recycling; (4) energy recovery; and (5) appropriate disposal. As these approaches imply, implementing the activities that can reduce medical waste should be focused on frontline healthcare workers. To identify in-hospital activities that can reduce medical waste generation, the flow of waste processing phases must first be examined. Table 2 shows the general flow of medical waste management implemented in healthcare institutions in South Korea, from the generation to the treatment process of medical waste.

Synopsis of the medical waste stream in Korean hospitals.

Source: ICRC [ 18 ].

As shown in Table 2 , after medicine and medical supplies are stocked in the purchasing department, goods are distributed at the request of each healthcare department. Medical waste is generated from this point onwards. For instance, medicine and medical supplies are purchased based on care departments’ needs for operations and patient treatment. These supplies become medical waste when they are used, disposed of, or their expiration dates are passed. Although expired medicine (i.e., drug ingredients) may be hazardous, medical supplies, such as syringes, surgical gloves, and gauze, are classified as general medical waste. However, even though such expired medical supplies, not in contact with patients, are considered general medical waste, they are often discharged as infectious medical waste or mixed with infectious medical waste for convenience, increasing the volume of generated infectious medical waste. Therefore, reducing unnecessary infectious medical waste is possible if healthcare workers, such as doctors and nurses, are aware of the value of proper waste classifications, separation processes, and emission reduction benefits for medical waste.

Johannessen et al. [ 30 ] suggested guidelines for evaluating and improving medical waste management based on the standard for >50-bed facilities and those with fewer than 50 beds with respect to the current medical service situation. The WHO [ 35 ], through its National Healthcare Waste Management Plan Guidance Manual, suggested a set of factors that should be considered prior to developing a medical waste management plan. The detailed contents of these factors can be summarized as follows. The medical industry and environmental protection are closely related [ 1 ]. For example, healthcare institutions that operate emergency and in-patient rooms emit greenhouse gases throughout the day. Medical waste is landfilled or incinerated, resulting in air pollutant emissions and water pollution due to landfill leaching, constantly raising concerns over environmental protection issues. Although hospitals are fully aware of the importance of medical waste management, they tend to assign the responsibility to a designated department. However, medical waste management cannot be achieved based solely on the role and efforts of the department in charge. Thus, medical waste management strategies should include operational standards and classification, as well as plans for potential waste disposal issues and operational implementation plans. Furthermore, relevant information about the effect of medical waste management on hospital operating costs should be disseminated to all organization members. In this perspective, medical waste treatment requires operational and management strategies.

Kwikiriza et al. [ 16 ] suggested that the incorrect use of personal protective equipment during the treatment/transport process of medical waste may cause infection risks as well as occupational hazard problems. Medical waste is often infectious; therefore, it must be stored safely for a certain period. Hossain et al. [ 11 ] indicated that although the safe handling and disposal of medical waste require a seamless process from the initial collection step to the final disposal stage, improper management practices are often prevalent. These problematic practices are caused by a lack of awareness, effective control, appropriate legislation, and specialized staff [ 11 , 16 ]. Thus, safety protocols should be established to continuously monitor the process to prevent leaks or other hazardous consequences.

The majority of medical waste can be classified as general waste; therefore, a classification policy or manual should be developed for implementation. Previous studies have provided convincing evidence that medical waste has a direct negative impact on the environment [ 9 , 10 , 16 ]. As such, every healthcare institution should endeavor to minimize environmental pollution by complying with the relevant policies and laws while providing a safe medical environment. In addition, because medical waste management involves social, legal, and financial issues, relevant authorities and associations should provide regular education to healthcare workers on new regulations, research findings, or new technologies [ 11 , 12 , 15 , 16 ]. Hospitals should provide education and training programs on the importance and impact of environmental management on organizational efficiency and community safety [ 31 ]. The prevention of possible problems that may arise in medical waste management is possible through effective training on the risks of erroneous waste classification and disposal, operational procedures, and responsibilities involved in medical waste management.

3. Methodology

3.1. analytic hierarchy process.

The analytic hierarchy process (AHP), a method developed by Saaty [ 36 ], is an effective decision-making tool for problems with multiple and conflicting evaluation factors and multiple alternatives solutions. In the AHP, after stratifying the evaluation factors for decision-making and reconstructing the primary factors into sub-items (secondary factors), the importance of each factor is determined through a pairwise comparison between factors prior to obtaining the final solution. The AHP approach is widely used because it allows flexible decision-making based on an intuitive perspective, including objective and subjective factors [ 37 ].

In this study, the AHP was applied because it is well suited to decision-making for medical waste management issues that involve complex and sometimes conflicting operational activities. The AHP is a subjective approach that focuses on a specific issue; therefore, the judgment of experts with practical experience is more appropriate than that of a large sample size [ 38 , 39 ]. Several previous studies used sample sizes between four and nine e.g., [ 40 , 41 ]. On the other hand, other researchers employed sample sizes greater than 30 [ 42 , 43 ]. In applying the AHP, the general suggested number of respondents ranges from 4 to 30. Medical waste occurs at the various medical service encounter points. Thus, in this study, we tried to involve personnel at many service encounter points, resulting in 30 participants.

3.2. Identification of Key Medical Waste Management Factors

To identify important factors in medical waste management and treatment processes in hospitals, this study analyzed the measures that can effectively reduce medical waste and develop a practical assessment method based on the input from managers of medical waste at tertiary healthcare institutions in South Korea.

A preliminary questionnaire was prepared to develop the measurement items that represent the operational and treatment activities of medical waste. As a pilot study, the questionnaire was distributed to staff who had sufficient experience in medical waste management activities in five Korean general hospitals. Based on the respondents’ suggestions, the measurement items were refined for clarity and accurate understanding. The identified measurement items of medical waste management for pairwise analysis are shown in Table 3 .

Measurement items for this study.

3.3. Data Acquisition Process

To ensure effective decision-making with the verified importance of factors by AHP, we executed several steps. First, the final questionnaire developed for pairwise comparison evaluations of measurement items used nine-point Likert scales to determine the importance of items [ 36 ]. Second, the AHP was applied to determine important factors for medical waste management. Third, three experts who were in charge of medical waste management in their hospitals were interviewed to discuss the AHP results and their practicality. In this paper, AHP was applied to perform the following: (1) simplification of the evaluation item structure, (2) comparison of evaluation results, and (3) presentation of operational efficiency measures through decision-making based on the evaluation results.

The ultimate goal of the application of AHP was to determine the priority of factors involved in medical waste management activities and treatment processes to secure a safe, waste-free environment. Figure 1 presents a schematic of the AHP framework employed in this study.

The analytic hierarchy process framework.

3.4. Data Collection

In this study, our survey respondents were restricted to healthcare workers with more than 3 years of experience in medical waste management activities (e.g., separating and disposing of wastes such as syringes, alcohol swabs, gloves, and general medical waste). Waste disposal workers at the hospital moved waste containers to a storage area first; then, they are transferred to an external treatment contractor.

For the AHP application, the survey was conducted during 10–25 January 2022, targeting 30 healthcare workers in hospitals with more than 500 beds. We received 23 responses (76.7%), although 7 were discarded due to incomplete items. Thus, the sample included 16 responses (69.6%). Table 4 presents the sample profile. Approximately 25.0% of respondents were from general wards, and the remaining 75.0% were from isolation wards, emergency rooms, intensive care units, and operating rooms in participating hospitals. The participants had knowledge related to medical waste at the following levels: high (50.0%), medium (37.5%), and low (12.5%). These results imply that the participants had a great deal of knowledge about medical waste. The proportion of respondents who participated in waste management training was high: 87.5%. The participants responded to the importance of medical waste management with the following activities (multiple responses): practice (100.0%), attitude (75.0%), and education training (25.0%).

Respondents’ demographic characteristics.

Total respondents: 16 (100.00%).

4.1. Consistency Test

To apply the AHP, a validity verification was first performed on survey items based on the consistency ratio (CR). Saaty [ 36 ] reported that a CR value of 0.1 or less is desirable, indicating that the probability of obtaining a logically impaired decision is less than 10%. When the CR value is ≤0.2, it indicates an acceptable range. In this study, the CR value was set to ≤0.2 based on the requirement of a pairwise comparison for each item [ 36 ]. The CR values for the five key items proposed in this study were all < 0.2; therefore, the criteria for decision-making in this study were satisfied. For the substitutability index, the opinions of respondents were not within the range of CR values due to the small sample size. A pairwise comparison matrix was analyzed using the geometric mean for the five factors that were considered most important in the management and treatment activities for reducing medical waste in healthcare institutions.

4.2. AHP Results

Table 5 shows the weights of five items and twenty detailed items used to prioritize important factors in managing medical waste based on the Expert Choice 2000 program. The results indicate that medical waste management (26.6%) is the most important factor for reducing medical waste generation, followed by operational management issues (21.7%), training for medical waste management procedures (17.8%), raising awareness (17.5%), and environmental assessment (16.4%). The interpretation of these analysis results is as follows.

Results of the pairwise comparison matrix.

First, medical waste management must be implemented safely with prescribed pro-cedures that should be executed by medical staff at contact points with medical waste to reduce its generation. The second priority factor to be considered is the operational issue of medical waste management (21.7%) such as standards and procedures. The third im-portant factor is training for medical waste management procedures (17.8%), indicating the need to provide a basic method easily accessible through education on medical waste management for healthcare workers or other organization members. Fourth is raising awareness (18.1%) about the impact of effective medical waste management. Reducing the volume of medical waste is only possible when the activities of the responsible depart-ments that generate waste are integrated into daily work activities, along with employee awareness of medical waste management. Finally, environmental assessments are neces-sary to understand the broad impact of medical waste on the medical environment.

First, medical waste management must be implemented safely with prescribed procedures that should be executed by medical staff at contact points with medical waste to reduce its generation. The second priority factor to be considered is the operational issue of medical waste management (21.7%) such as standards and procedures. The third important factor is training for medical waste management procedures (17.8%), indicating the need to provide a basic method easily accessible through education on medical waste management for healthcare workers or other organization members. Fourth is raising awareness (18.1%) about the impact of effective medical waste management. Reducing the volume of medical waste is only possible when the activities of the responsible departments that generate waste are integrated into daily work activities, along with employee awareness of medical waste management. Finally, environmental assessments are necessary to understand the broad impact of medical waste on the medical environment.

Table 5 also shows the results of the analysis on the local weights for each of the five evaluation items. Based on the analysis, for recognizing the importance of good healthcare waste management, raising awareness was the highest (31.8%), followed by setting up a waste management team with responsibility (25.7%), integration into daily operations (21.9%), and establishing a committee to develop a waste management plan (20.6%). These results indicate the importance of recognizing the significance of proper management and treatment activities for reducing medical waste generation.

For operational management issues, the items deemed important were in the following order: operational standards for medical waste items (35.2%), develop and implement a medical waste management plan (29.3%), medical waste management cost (23.1%), and plan for potential medical waste treatment problems (12.4%). The results show that the standards for medical waste management are most important among operational management issues. Thus, the establishment and execution of management plans are key factors.

For medical waste management, the following items were deemed most important: the safe storage of secure leak-proof and infectious medical waste (33.4%), policies or manuals on separation of medical waste by type (28.3%), simple-to-implement medical waste management for staff (including ancillary staff) (20.4%), and regular monitoring to ensure compliance with procedures (17.9%). Based on these analysis results, classification policies and manuals for each type of medical waste are imperative in medical waste management to reduce liability issues (criminal liability) after appropriate waste classification and disposal.

For environmental assessment, the important items were: a safe medical environment from medical waste (30.5%), environmental and health impact monitoring (29.3%), environmental management and training (22.7%), and policy, legal, and administrative frameworks (17.5%). Providing a safe medical environment is not only important for patients, but also for the members of the organization and local communities. From this perspective, a safe healthcare environment from medical waste was rated most important among the detailed items in the environmental evaluation. Infectious medical waste can cause secondary infections in hospitals, which might have also been reflected in the results. Regarding training for medical waste management procedures, the items deemed most important were: training on staff responsibilities and roles in managing medical waste (29.8%), training on waste separation operations (27.8%), education on the risks of incorrect medical waste management (23.5%), and technical training on the application of waste management practices (18.9%).

Organization members often do not have opportunities to interact with those in other departments. However, medical waste management is a special task which offers a shared goal for the benefit of all members of the organization. Thus, general education and training of all employees, in addition to those who are directly involved with the task, would be imperative to engage everyone in this effort.

Based on the analysis results for the 20 global evaluation items, there was no significant difference among the items. Safe storage of secure leak-proof and infectious medical waste (9.1%) was the highest, followed by simple-to-implement medical waste management for staff, including ancillary staff (8.7%), and operational standards for medical waste (8.4%).

4.3. Experts’ Opinions on the AHP Results

After the AHP results were obtained based on the responses of 16 medical workers in tertiary hospitals, we conducted interviews with experts in the related fields to derive additional insights from the study results. These interviews provided insiders’ perspectives on developing an effective implementation plan for medical waste management activities at the operational level. The different activity plans can also be delineated between the department in charge of waste management and supporting departments based on the experts’ ideas.

The three experts invited for the interview were selected among team leaders with more than 5 years of relevant work experience at tertiary hospitals in South Korea. Although each hospital has its own unique characteristics (e.g., operational structure, number of beds and employees, care units, etc.), there was no significant difference in their medical waste management programs among the hospitals of the 23 survey respondents. Some hospitals had their own dedicated medical waste management programs, whereas others had outsourcing arrangements with the municipal sanitation department. The hospitals that relied on the municipal sanitation program for waste management moved medical waste bins/boxes from each treatment room to medical waste storage areas. The collected medical waste was then transported and disposed of by contracted external firms. The departments in charge of medical waste management at these hospitals (e.g., general affairs or facilities departments) perform all necessary administrative procedures.

Table 6 summarizes the common problems, causes, and solutions suggested by the three experts. Based on both the AHP results and the experts’ opinions, medical waste management stood out as the first priority item. However, there was a difference in the second priority item. In the AHP results, the operational management issues item was rated as the second priority item. However, the experts rated training for medical waste management procedures item as the second priority. This may be due to differences in perspectives among managers (“provide education and training to staff to ensure proper sorting”) and staff involved in waste generation, handling, and sorting (“developing a manual for proper sorting of waste”). There was no significant difference among the priorities for the remaining items.

Expert opinions on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) results.

5. Conclusions

With the increasing concerns regarding contagious and infectious diseases, due to climate change as well as resistance to medications and treatments, the effective management of medical waste has become a strategic priority for healthcare providers. Packaging materials for medical devices are a recyclable resource. Medical waste, mainly incinerated for disposal, requires an eco-friendly treatment method to conserve the environment. Furthermore, healthcare institutions should properly classify and sort general hospital and medical waste in practice. The use of eco-friendly and low-risk containers is a constructive step in the classification and collection processes for medical waste.

This study analyzed the contributing factors to medical waste generation based on the data collected from medical staff and AHP for developing a sustainable green healthcare environment. The analysis results indicated the following priorities for the five key factors: medical waste management was rated the highest (26.6%), followed by operational management issues (21.7%), training for medical waste management procedures (17.8%), raising awareness (17.5%), and environmental assessment (16.4%). The analysis of local weights of the five factors revealed the following items as the most important: raising awareness—recognizing the importance of good healthcare waste management (31.8%); operational management issues—operational standards for medical waste (35.2%); medical waste management—safe storage of secure leak-proof and infectious medical waste (33.4%); environmental assessment—a safe medical environmental from medical waste (30.5%); and training regarding medical waste management procedures—training on staff responsibilities and roles in managing medical waste (29.8%).

5.1. Theoretical and Practical Implications

The results of this study have several important implications. First, practical medical waste management is the most important step in management and treatment activities for reducing the generation of medical waste. Medical waste is typically generated in each treatment unit and staff can discard it in the containers provided [ 10 , 16 ]. However, general waste, which does not require the same treatment as medical waste, is often misplaced into medical waste containers. Approximately 85% of medical waste is from general operations; hence, some of this may be reused or recycled [ 44 ]. Therefore, hospitals should implement action campaigns based on evaluations of what items can be reused or recycled to reduce medical waste generation.

Second, healthcare organizations should pursue qualitative improvements in the treatment of diseases for patients. From this perspective, hospitals are generally known as institutions that consume a high volume of single-use plastic products to minimize infections [ 45 , 46 ]. Different medicines and medical supplies are used in each department; therefore, detailed instructions or manuals on the handling of waste should be provided to healthcare workers for proper sorting and disposal to reduce the volume of generated waste.

Third, because awareness and education on medical waste management are important factors [ 10 , 11 , 16 ], all members of the hospital should be encouraged to participate in education on the value of medical waste management, especially resource circulation through the proper collection and separation of waste they generate daily. In other words, the generation of medical waste must be reduced to the greatest possible extent, minimizing the impact on the environment by reusing/recovering waste and establishing an eco-friendly green environment. In addition, medicines and supplies are used or become medical waste when their expiration dates are passed. Thus, it is important to manage inventories to avoid valuable medical supplies to become waste after the expiration dates. One way to reduce medical waste would be to include an effective inventory management program in employee education and training courses.

Fourth, medical waste management is subject to strict treatment regulations such as the Medical Service Act and environmental laws. For example, because legal sanctions are imposed on disposing infectious medical waste as general waste, hospital employees must appropriately classify medical waste during the sorting stage to curtail waste generation.

Fifth, the AHP results and the opinions of the three experts indicated a slight difference in the priorities of the five key factors. Thus, healthcare organizations should provide support to front-line employees so that they can freely express their opinions and ideas for performing their medical waste management tasks that are most appropriate for each hospital.

Today, eco-friendly resource management has become important for creating a sustainable green enterprise due to increasing air pollution, climate change, and plastic waste that threaten human health. The global medical waste management market is expected to grow from USD 7.2 billion in 2020 to USD 12.8 billion by 2030 [ 47 ]. Thus, anticipating problems that may arise from medical waste generation would be important to all healthcare organizations. The results of this study provide new insights to developing strategic plans for treatment processes and activities to reduce waste.

The theoretical and practical contributions of this study can be summarized as follows. First, our study has broadened the topic and scope of medical waste management by analyzing the priority items that can significantly reduce medical waste generation, unlike previous studies which primarily focused on waste treatment methods. Second, our research method can be applied to other industries that are concerned about reducing waste generation or recycling resources. Finally, the evaluation items identified and analyzed in this study can also be applied to related industries that are struggling to manage waste. Medical waste management approaches may differ among healthcare providers due to their specific characteristics. This study identified and evaluated priority items (factors) that generate medical waste; therefore, the presented results can be used as useful data for developing strategies and policies for medical waste management.

5.2. Limitations and Future Research Directions

This study has several limitations. First, due to the small sample size (16), statistical verification for the substitutability index could not be performed. Second, although the amount of data required for AHP was appropriate, the fact that we received only 16 valid responses indicates the difficulties involved in the pairwise comparison for medical staff. Therefore, conducting additional surveys, including a pre-survey training session for respondents, would help collect objective and valid data. Furthermore, future studies should consider broadening the population base, as this study focused only on medical staff at the point of contact in generating medical waste. Third, due to a lack of previous studies on management and treatment activities for reducing medical waste produced by healthcare workers, the evaluation items were developed with a focus on items suggested in waste management research in general and the opinions of healthcare workers in handling medical waste. Future studies should consider the more in-depth development of priority items based on a survey of a broader population of medical personnel. Fourth, the causes and solutions of the medical waste problem were examined by comparing the AHP results with the opinions of three experts. However, because this study selected three experts randomly, it may be prudent to select more objective and representative experts in future studies. Fifth, this study focused on the strategies and activities to minimize medical waste; however, it did not explore other important issues related to medical waste management. For example, optimal economic efficiency and management of medical waste activities are critical topics that need to be researched to secure a sustainable healthcare environment. These are key future research areas of medical waste management. Lastly, because this study was conducted in South Korea, its global generalizability is limited. Therefore, future studies should perform comparisons by analyzing cases from more countries in varying degrees of healthcare services.

Funding Statement

This work was supported by INHA UNIVERSITY Research Grant (INHA-68945-1).

Author Contributions

All authors have conceptualization, writing the manuscript. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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Medical waste requires specialized treatment using approved methods before disposal in a landfill. .

Medical waste is waste from clinical or research settings that is contaminated or potentially contaminated by human source materials, non-human primate source materials, or human infectious agents. For a more comprehensive definition of medical waste, please visit the  California Department of Public Health  website.

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