Waste minimization in hospitals

Introduction: The disposal of hospital waste should be processed by means of reliable and standard techniques; otherwise, it can lead to serious environmental and human health damages. Several approaches have been used for waste management; whilst, waste minimization (WM) is the best approach that focuses on the reduction and prevention of waste. This study investigated the WM approach through a number of selected hospitals in Isfahan. Methods : Data was collected through a questionnaire, designed based on WHO recommendations regarding WM in hospitals. Ninety people from 7 (4 university affiliated and 3 private) hospitals participated in this study; which were selected by stratified sampling. Data analysis was done by T test and ANOVA using SPSS software. Results : There was no significant difference between university and private hospitals in WM performance (p= 0/2) . Comparing university and private hospitals performance in WM domains revealed a significant difference in two domains of WM performance, Waste segregation, good management and control practices (p=  0.001, p=  0.03). Conclusion : The private hospitals should be more concerned about waste segregation; accordingly, setting rules and increasing supervision for the application of guidelines are necessary. Management and control practices should be also reinforced through training programs. Keywords: Waste minimization, Hospital waste, Waste management.