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Title Mapping healthcare waste management research: Past evolution, current challenges, and future perspectives towards a circular economy transition
ID_Doc 4325
Authors Ranjbari, M; Esfandabadi, ZS; Shevchenko, T; Chassagnon-Haned, N; Peng, WX; Tabatabaei, M; Aghbashlo, M
Title Mapping healthcare waste management research: Past evolution, current challenges, and future perspectives towards a circular economy transition
Year 2022
Published
DOI 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126724
Abstract Improper healthcare waste (HCW) management poses significant risks to the environment, human health, and socio-economic sustainability due to the infectious and hazardous nature of HCW. This research aims at rendering a comprehensive landscape of the body of research on HCW management by (i) mapping the scientific development of HCW research, (ii) identifying the prominent HCW research themes and trends, and (iii) providing a research agenda for HCW management towards a circular economy (CE) transition and sustainable environment. The analysis revealed four dominant HCW research themes: (1) HCW minimization, sustainable management, and policy-making; (2) HCW incineration and its associated environmental impacts; (3) hazardous HCW management practices; and (4) HCW handling and occupational safety and training. The results showed that the healthcare industry, despite its potential to contribute to the CE transition, has been overlooked in the CE discourse due to the single-use mindset of the healthcare industry in the wake of the infectious, toxic, and hazardous nature of HCW streams. The findings shed light on the HCW management domain by uncovering the current status of HCW research, highlighting the existing gaps and challenges, and providing potential avenues for further research towards a CE transition in the healthcare industry and HCW management.
Author Keywords Waste management; Healthcare waste; Circular economy; Environmental sustainability; Hazardous waste; Medical waste
Index Keywords Index Keywords
Document Type Other
Open Access Open Access
Source Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED); Social Science Citation Index (SSCI)
EID WOS:000703121500002
WoS Category Engineering, Environmental; Environmental Sciences
Research Area Engineering; Environmental Sciences & Ecology
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