Our Work in Waste Management

HCWH Europe is contributing to set specific guidelines that can help healthcare facilities in their efforts to implement waste management plans for hospital waste throughout Europe. See our fact sheet – Waste reduction in healthcare services.

In recent years, HCWH Europe also organised training seminars for waste management trainers from five Central and Easter Europe countries to promote proper segregation, waste reduction and offering alternatives. Together with the Armenian Women for Health & Healthy Environment, we launched a transformative medical waste project that reduced the volume and toxicity of infections medical waste.

HCWH Europe has also been advocating for changes in the EU Waste Legislation to, for example, take in consideration the specific properties and characteristics of nanowaste. In 2011, the UN Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur invited HCWH to provide input about the way in which improper medical waste management might harm human rights. The input of HCWH and that of other agencies including WHO, led to a final report recommending more support for medical waste management and the substitution of incineration wherever possible.