Incineration or Sterilization--Mixed Voices on Medical Waste, February 2003

Incineration or Sterilization--Mixed Voices on Medical Waste, February 2003

In the early 2000s, Japanese society was shaken by fears of infectious diseases and concerns about environmental problems. 1992, the Ministry of Health and Welfare designated bloodstained gauze and injection needles as "infectious waste" and mandated their strict disposal. However, incinerators were introduced for safety reasons, but the dioxin problem eventually led to protests from local residents, and hospitals had no choice but to outsource disposal. Under these circumstances, the debate over "incineration or sterilization" spread, and the voices of the medical field, processors, local residents, and the government all intersected. Medical institutions favored incineration for its certainty, while processors appealed for the spread of new technologies such as sterilization, carbonization, and melting, and residents rejected the toxic substances produced by incinerators. In terms of the system, the responsibility of emitters was strengthened, training programs were develop
ed, and the introduction of special containers began. The introduction of new technologies, such as the "Kankyo Shin" carbonizing furnace by Mayekawa Manufacturing, the "DOMIWS" arc plasma melting furnace by Koike Oxygen Industries, and the "Trash Busters" dry heat sterilization system by Nippon Kako, attracted attention as a realistic alternative to incineration. The shift from incineration-centered treatment to new technologies began in earnest. In the midst of the social challenge of balancing countermeasures against infectious diseases and environmental preservation, medical waste treatment has become a symbolic issue that lies between safety and security.