Researchers studying Wuhan, China found medical waste disposal problems may have worsened as a result of COVID-19. 
- When the pandemic was at its worst, Wuhan produced 247 tons of medical waste per day. This value returned to normal levels by mid-May
- Medical waste piled up at health institutes as disposal plants were overwhelmed
- Some wastes were not adequately assessed as medical wastes and were improperly disposed of (eg. wastes from quarantine centers) 
- Wuhan's capacity to dispose of medical waste reached 265.6 tons a day 

Kenyon College

The proper disposal of medical waste is essential to ensure hazardous materials do not pollute the environment and harm human health. Proper management of medical waste includes: 
- Disposing of medical waste properly instead of incinerating it; many medical facilities incinerate their waste, which releases pollutants into the air 
- Understanding what kinds of medical waste need to be disposed of in a special manner and what kinds can be recycled 
- Containing waste in biohazard bags as appropriate to prevent leaks 
- Storing waste in a designated area and ensuring waste is unable to leak or spread from there until it can be disposed of 
- Decontaminating waste as needed to ensure it can be properly handled later 

Medical Waste Pollution (Post-COVID-19)

Singh, N., Tang, Y., Zhang, Z., & Zheng, C. (2020). COVID-19 Waste Management: Effective and Successful Measures in Wuhan, China. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.105071 

COVID-19 Waste Management: Effective and Successful Measures in Wuhan, China

Medical Waste Pollution: Wuhan (China) (Post-COVID-19) 

Researchers studying Tehran, Iran found medical waste pollution may have worsened as a result of COVID-19. 
- In March 2020, 10.78 million masks were disposed of per day and 21.6 million gloves were disposed of per day 
- After legislation restricting the disposal of masks and gloves, average discarded facemasks per day rose to 17.4 million, while gloves fell to 3.8 million 
- Wastes were often compacted in garbage trucks, causing fluid to leak that may have harbored the COVID-19 virus 
- Only 47.3% of hospitals were found to be correctly collecting and sorting medical waste 
- Average medical waste produced per day from hospitals increased 80-110 tons 
- Infectious waste treatment at hospitals completely stopped 
- Medical wastes were buried in trenches and sprayed with hydrated lime 

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