Global Medical Waste Management Market - Forecasts from 2024 to 2029

The global medical waste management market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.87% during the forecast period to reach US$25.562 billion by 2029, up from US$17.209 billion in 2022.

Medical waste is generated as a result of medical, surgical, and therapeutic procedures carried out in healthcare institutions. Hospitals, diagnostic institutes, and clinics generate waste that must be properly handled and managed. Medical waste management is defined as the collection, treatment, and disposal of biomedical waste through various services, such as incineration, chemical treatment, and autoclaving.

Medical waste management assures that biomedical waste is collected, contained, processed, and properly disposed of, safeguarding the general public, animals, and the environment. The global medical waste management market is segmented by waste type, treatment site, service, and geography.

Market Drivers:

• The increasing volume of biomedical waste is expected to boost the global medical waste management market's growth during the forecast period.

The majority of medical waste is generated as a result of various disease treatments and tests. Approximately 85% of waste generated by healthcare activities is non-hazardous. Similarly, around 15% of waste is hazardous, meaning it is toxic and infectious, posing a serious health risk. According to the WHO, over 16 billion injections were administered worldwide in 2018, necessitating proper and adequate processing to dispose of medical waste safely. As a result, the medical waste management market is expected to grow as the demand for safe injection disposal grows to avert health crises.

As a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, hospitals are producing more non-hazardous medical waste, such as disposable wipes and empty disinfection containers, propelling the medical waste management industry forward. Furthermore, federal agencies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have specific disposal standards for COVID-19 medical waste. These guidelines simplify and improve the medical waste management process, resulting in increased acceptance of medical waste management. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, India generated 45,308 tons of biomedical waste between June 2020 and May 2021 as a result of an increase in the number of diagnostic activities and treatment of COVID-19 patients.

Furthermore, government attempts to improve the management of medical waste are propelling the market ahead. The US Environmental Protection Agency, for example, signed a rule in 2019 titled "Management Standards for Hazardous Waste Pharmaceuticals and Amendment to the P075 listing for Nicotine", which outlines streamlined rules for treating hazardous pharmaceutical waste. Furthermore, increased funding for research activities and the widespread use of biomedical products and technologies are driving market expansion. For instance, to reduce the burden of medical waste generated, the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh announced plans in May 2021 to increase the volume of bio-medical waste incineration from 2.4 metric tonnes (MT) per day to 6.4 MT per day by authorizing a new common bio-medical waste treatment and disposal facility. Similarly, the Chinese government and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) announced a new effort in Nepal in August 2021 to assist seven hospitals in the South Asian country in improving their healthcare waste management systems to better address the COVID-19 pandemic.

North America is expected to drive the global medical waste management market growth during the forecast period.

Because of the rising incidence of chronic diseases, the presence of major players has increased environmental consciousness regarding waste management and led to an increase in the amount of medical waste in the region. North America is likely to hold a significant proportion of the medical waste management market. In the United States, many hospitals have started recycling single-use products, which are subsequently sold back to the hospitals at a reduced price.

Many companies in the region are pursuing various growth methods such as collaborations, agreements, mergers, and acquisitions to strengthen their market presence. For example, Waste Management, Inc., a US-based waste management, comprehensive waste management, and environmental services firm, paid $4.6 billion for Advanced Disposal Services, Inc. in 2019. The acquisition expands Waste Management's presence and allows the firm to provide an unrivaled level of differentiated, sustainable waste management and recycling services to over 3 million new commercial, industrial, and residential customers in 16 states throughout the US.

Company Products/ Services:

• Pharmaceutical Waste Management and Disposal- Pharmaceutical Waste Management and Disposal services are provided by Stericycle, Inc., which include compliance-based pharmaceutical waste disposal solutions to help you manage waste safely, effectively, and with the least amount of risk.
• Pathological Waste- Mediwaste offers services related to pathological waste which recognizable human-derived tissues, organs, body parts, vertebrate animal-derived tissues, organs, and body parts used in research.
• Biohazardous Waste Disposal Management- BioMedical Waste Solutions, LLC offers complete biohazardous waste disposal management service, including complete office disposal supplies, document destruction certification, red bag biomedical waste removal, OSHA Medical Facility compliance training programs, HIPAA compliance, pharmaceutical waste disposal, expired/recalled drug destruction, and various infectious waste and Sharps bin container disposal service lines.

Key Developments:

• February 2024- Clean Harbors partnered with Gryphon Investors to acquire HEPACO, a leading provider of specialized environmental and emergency response services in the Eastern United States, for $400 million in cash. The acquisition is expected to close in the first half of 2024, subject to regulatory approval and closing conditions.
• August 2022 - The Japanese government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched a two-year $11 million project to help address the surge in infectious healthcare waste caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh, Bhutan, and the Maldives and targets to improve waste management. The initiative, which aims to support national health agencies and key stakeholders, was officially launched at a ceremony attended by H.E. Ambassador Takeshi Osuga and Kanni Wignaraja.
• May 2022- SUEZ and Veolia signed an agreement to acquire all hazardous waste assets in France, valued at 690 million euros, as part of Veolia's commitment to address European Commission competition concerns, as part of their commitment to address the company's concerns.
• May 2022- MediWaste, a Bermuda-based company, took over the collection and disposal of medical waste from the Department of Health and BHB, providing direct access to services for community generators like dentists, doctor offices, labs, clinics, veterinarian practices, tattoo parlors, pharmacies, and barbers. MediWaste specializes in internationally compliant and best practice collection, transportation, treatment, and disposal of biohazardous wastes, using two incinerators specifically designed for medical waste disposal.

Key Market Segments:

By Waste Type

• General
• Hazardous
• Infectious

By Treatment Site

• On-site
• Off-site

By Service

• Treatment
• Disposal
• Recycling

By Geography

• North America
• USA
• Canada
• Mexico
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Others
• Europe
• Germany
• France
• United Kingdom
• Spain
• Others
• Middle East and Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• Israel
• Others
• Asia Pacific
• China
• Japan
• South Korea
• India
• Others