ABSTRACT
The medical waste (MW) has reached ever-soaring heights amid the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The need to significantly manage and dispose of the MWs generated from various healthcare centers is escalating day by day. The inappropriate approaches to handling and management of MW have led to the transmission of infection among medical personnel, healthcare assistants, MW handlers, patients, and the public. The lack of knowledge about the disposal of biomedical waste is further worsening the situation by taking an upper hand on the current prevailing situation. This review majorly aims at assessing the ability to transform COVID-19 MW into beneficial value-added products such as fuel, energy, fabrics, road construction materials, bricks, and other functional outputs. A sustainable disposal and management technique involving appropriate MW collection, segregation, or classification of gross MW depending upon the hazardous level, transportation, various sterilization treatments, and disposal technologies followed by achievable chemical and mechanical recycling can generate feasible, highly sustainable, and enhanced output. The innovative handling of MW forecasts an unthinkable hike in the employment trajectory and can even help the weaning environment by contributing zero waste to the landfill.
