The Polymer Medical Waste: A Tough Challenge for Environmental Sustainability

Abstract: Medical waste is the term used for trash generated at health care units, like hospitals, medical clinics, dental practices, blood banks, or veterinary hospitals/clinics, as well as medical research facilities and laboratories. We are aware of the fact that medical waste is healthcare waste that may be contaminated by blood, body fluids or other potentially infectious materials and in the context of this related study more important the non-decomposable waste mostly plastics/ or non-degradable polymers, which could be a challenge for environmental sustainability and human health. At the same time we cannot deny the numerous positive attributes of plastics which have enabled them to achieve this particular niche. Medical facilities without the use of plastics are almost unimaginable. During the peak of the outbreak of the dreaded pandemic, a critical period for the prevention and control of the disease, the world faced the issue of COVID-19 related waste as a threat to global public environmental health. Medical waste management during this pandemic emerged as the prime issues facing public service organisations such as municipalities, in terms of logistics, environment and social