Do not dispose of healthcare waste as “hazardous/infectious waste” unless strictly necessary; instead, ensure correct separation and recycle, choosing the disposal method with the lowest carbon footprint.
The environmental impact of healthcare waste disposal is estimated to be around 5% of the sector’s total emissions. The WHO estimates that only 15% of healthcare waste is considered hazardous; the remaining 85% is comparable to landscape waste. The disposal method chosen by staff has therefore a significant impact on the climate: incineration is the method with the highest environmental impact, while recycling has the lowest, being up to 50 times less polluting. In Italy, healthcare waste management is regulated by Presidential Decree (D.P.R.) 254/2003, which promotes the separation of non-contaminated waste from infectious waste and encourages recycling within the operating department.
Sources
1. Karliner J, Slotterback S, Boyd R et al. Health care’s climate footprint: how the health sector contributes to the global climate crisis and opportunities for action [Internet]. Washington (DC): Health Care Without Harm; 2019 (last accessed: January 2026). https://noharm-global.org/documents/health-care-climate-footprint-report
2. World Health Organization. Health-care waste [Internet]. Geneva: WHO; 2018 (last accessed: February 2026). https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/health-care-waste
3. Italia. Decreto del Presidente della Repubblica 15 luglio 2003, n. 254. Regolamento recante disciplina della gestione dei rifiuti sanitari. Gazzetta Ufficiale della Repubblica Italiana n. 211 (11 September 2003). (last accessed: April 2026). https://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/eli/id/2003/09/11/003G0282/sg
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PDFAttention. Please note that these items are provided only for information and are not intended as a substitute for consultation with a clinician. Patients with any specific questions about the items on this list or their individual situation should consult their clinician.
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