How comprehensive and effective are waste management policies during the COVID-19 pandemic? Perspectives from the Philippines

Abstract

This study presents a comprehensive analysis on policies governing the management of COVID-19 waste in the Philippines, highlighting gaps in pre-existing policies and opportunities for further policy development and adaptation in the context of present and future public health emergencies. A hybrid search strategy and consultative process identified fifty (50) policy documents directly impacting the management of wastes (general domestic, healthcare, and household healthcare waste) released prior to and during the pandemic. Content analysis revealed comprehensive policy coverage on managing general domestic waste and healthcare waste. However, there remains a dearth in policies for managing household healthcare waste, an emerging category for waste generated by patients isolating at home or in isolation facilities. Applicable, pre-existing policies were neither adequate nor specific to this category, and may therefore be subjected to variable interpretation and mismanagement when applied to this novel waste category. Assessment using the modified Cradle-to-End-Of-Life (CTEOL) framework revealed adequate policy coverage across the waste lifecycle stages. However, policies on reducing waste generation were relatively minimal and outdated, and policy gaps in waste segregation led to downstream inefficiencies and introduction of environmental health risks in waste collection, treatment, and disposal. The internal validity of policies was also evaluated against eleven (11) criteria adapted from Rütten et al. and Cheung et al. The criteria analysis revealed strong fulfillment of ensuring policy accessibility, goal clarity, provision of human resources, and strength of policy background, but weak fulfillment of criteria on providing adequate financing, organizational capacity building, monitoring and evaluation, and encouragement of opportunities for public participation. We conclude that existing waste management policies in the Philippines leave much room for improvement to ensure effective management of COVID-19 waste from various settings and circumstances. Hence, these policies are expected to adapt and evolve over time, utilizing the best available technology and environmental practices. Integrated, region-wide waste management systems, involving both government and society, and strengthened by equitable provisional support are needed for effective waste management that is both inclusive and resilient in the face of present and future pandemics.

Development of Microcontroller-Based Automated Infectious Waste Segregation and Disinfection System: A COVID-19 Mitigation and Monitoring Response

“…Precision is the measure of how many selected items are relevant to the total number of selected items as shown in Equation (1). Equation ( 2) is the recall which is the measure of how many relevant items are selected from the total number of relevant items.…”

“…As a result, many healthcare institutions (HCFs) generate more solid waste, making healthcare waste (HCW) a growing problem, particularly in developing countries such as the Philippines. As stated by [1], the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) report, the Philippines generated 634,687.73 metric tons of healthcare waste between June 2020 and June 2021. Hence, the country generated 52,890 metric tons of healthcare waste alone in a month [2].…”

Face mask and medical waste generation in the City of Baguio, Philippines: its current management and GHG footprint

“…However, the rise of facemasks and medical waste impedes the success of these projects [ 22 ]. Results showed from the recent study of Apostol et al [ 23 ] that it demonstrates weak fulfillment in monitoring and evaluation; hence, the country’s current waste management policies still need room for improvement to ensure effectiveness during this pandemic. This overwhelming problem extends beyond every city and municipality throughout the country.…”