Pave the way towards the reduction of health care waste and protect the environment through sustainable health care waste management. Hospitals and health systems account for a significant amount of waste globally each year.
Our waste work by region
Europe
The healthcare sector generates millions of tonnes of waste worldwide each year, and waste directly or indirectly negatively impacts our environment, health, and well-being in many ways. How we dispose of waste can contribute to climate change, release air pollutants into the atmosphere, or contaminate water and soil.
Employing a circular economy model provides the opportunity to achieve significant EU-wide healthcare waste reduction. We encourage Member States, and stakeholders (manufacturers, waste processors, etc.) to set goals to achieve a reduction in healthcare waste through national activities. Discover how we are driving markets towards toxic-free products that minimize waste.
Learn about our work in Europe
Global
By properly sorting and managing health care waste, hospitals and clinics around the world can reduce their operational costs, mitigate staff risks, protect the local environment, and improve the health of the communities they serve.
Discover what effective waste management looks like in the health care sector and how you can get involved at a global level. Learn more about the global effort towards reducing health care waste and why waste treatment and disposal is a pressing issue worldwide.
Latin America
Hospital waste is damaging to the environment and human health. Rid your community of harmful waste and lead the charge toward a toxic-free future.
Join a vast network of health systems working toward lowering the impact of medical waste, preventing pollution, and protecting the overall health of the Latin American community.
Learn more about the issue, the changes you can make, and how you can help.
Learn about our work in Latin America
Southeast Asia
Explore the issue in-depth and understand its impact on Southeast Asian health systems and human health. Push towards reducing waste to prevent harm in your community. Poorly managed and disposed medical waste plays a huge part in impacting public and environmental health in Southeast Asia. HCWH is rooted in helping the health care sector sustainably manage and dispose of waste to prevent human harm and protect the environment. Learn more about how this issue affects Southeast Asia and how you could help achieve real, lasting change.
Learn about our work in Southeast Asia
U.S. & Canada
By properly sorting and managing waste, hospitals can reduce their operational costs, mitigate staff risks, protect the local environment, and improve the health of the communities they serve.
Our guidance helps health care organizations minimize the volume of waste generated, reduce the toxicity of waste by making smarter purchasing decisions upstream, and properly segregate and recycle waste.
Our other areas of focus
Climate
Explore how we work with the health care sector to reduce its emissions and build climate-smart, resilient hospitals and communities.
Procurement
Utilize groundbreaking sustainable procurement guidance and tools to improve practices and policy while harnessing health care’s purchasing power to move the market.
Chemicals and Plastics
Find out how hospitals and health systems are reducing hazardous chemicals and single-use plastics to decrease the impact these products have on human health and the environment.
Food
Learn how we are working with hospitals and communities to implement successful strategies to reduce health care climate impact and support the growth of resilient foods systems.
Pharmaceuticals
Discover how our network is tackling the way we produce, use, and dispose of medicines and antibiotics, and advocating for judicious use and the development of safer, non-toxic drugs.
Energy
Achieve sustainable health care operations by reducing energy consumption and moving to clean, renewable options.
