6 September 2012: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) International Environmental Technology Centre (IETC) has released a compendium of healthcare waste technologies that seeks to assist national and local governments, health organizations, and other stakeholders in developing countries to assess and select appropriate technologies for the destruction of healthcare waste.

UNEP IETC notes that healthcare waste is an increasing global problem, as the technologies for its treatment are not well understood or widely available in developing countries. In addition, the use of obsolete or inappropriate technologies results in serious environmental issues, due to emissions of dioxins/furans and other contaminants.

The 233-page publication, titled “Compendium of Technologies for the Treatment/Destruction of Healthcare Waste,” inter alia: reviews data on healthcare waste, including material constituents, moisture content, incombustibles, heating value, chemical composition, and bulk density; outlines the compendium’s methodology for technology selection based on UNEP‘s Sustainable Assessment of Technologies methodology; provides descriptions and information on types of waste treated, ranges of capacities, pathogen destruction, emissions, operational details, installation requirements, and maintenance needs for 10 generic treatment technologies; and addresses 65 specific technologies, including non-incineration, incineration, chemical treatment, continuous steam, microwave, as well as several new and emerging technologies. [UNEP IETC Press Release] [Publication: Compendium of Technologies for the Treatment/Destruction of Healthcare Waste]