Healthcare Waste and Sustainability: Implications for a Circular Economy

Abrar Mahjoob (), Yousef Alfadhli () and Vincent Omachonu
Additional contact information
Abrar Mahjoob: Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124, USA
Yousef Alfadhli: Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124, USA
Vincent Omachonu: Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124, USA

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 10, 1-20

Abstract: The field of healthcare waste systems is an emerging research field with new methodologies being developed to reinforce sustainability. Medical treatments are becoming more sophisticated and in demand due to increasing incidences of chronic disease. Healthcare is also becoming widely available worldwide. Healthcare waste disposal includes multiple disposal methods including incineration, landfilling, and chemical treatments. These rudimentary methods and their increased prevalence present their own problems that negatively impact both the environment and public health. As a result, there is a global call for healthcare waste systems to transition from a linear to a circular economy (CE). The CE philosophy is employed in other waste management industries. There are limited studies, however, that assess the challenges to CE implementation, particularly in the United States. This research presents the challenges to the implementation of a CE in healthcare waste management systems. The challenges were determined by an extensive literature review. Three experts from the industry verified and provided additional context to the challenges through meetings. The challenges were grouped into seven categories: supply chain management, regulations and policies, industry, organizations internal, technology and operational, economic, and funding, and social. A decision-making trial and evaluation (DEMATEL) was used to rank the challenges and illustrate interrelationships between the challenges. The most significant challenge was found to be a lack of governmental legislation on CE healthcare policies, followed by a lack of a realistic CE business model and lack of consumer interest in the environment. The research will provide context to further developments into adopting CE practices. The limitations and future scope of the research are presented.

Keywords: healthcare waste management; circular economy; DEMATEL method (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/10/7788/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/10/7788/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:10:p:7788-:d:1143137

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().