COVID-19 medical waste dataset and city-level disposal optimization strategies

Zongguo Wen (), Hailong Zhao and Yi Zhang
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Zongguo Wen: Tsinghua University
Hailong Zhao: Tsinghua University
Yi Zhang: Tsinghua University

Nature Sustainability, 2025, vol. 8, issue 5, 562-573

Abstract: Abstract A surge in medical waste (MW) during the COVID-19 pandemic threatened environmental health globally. Learning from the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic can help governments to manage MW in the event of similar emergencies in the future. Here we compile a city-level dataset covering the MW generated during the COVID-19 pandemic and the capacity to dispose of it, and develop a model to estimate daily MW from respiratory diseases outbreaks from the test–isolation–treatment chain across 343 Chinese cities. The data collected allow the analysis of MW patterns related to COVID-19 restriction measures at different stages of the pandemic and enable the analysis of the sustainability of MW management. Our model estimates identify city-specific disposal optimization strategies for sustainable MW management. The dataset and the model presented here can support more in-depth research on MW management and aid policy makers dealing with the impacts of MW.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41893-025-01550-8

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