Healthcare Waste Report - Environment Health

Recycling of Syringes, Pakistan
Karachi is Pakistan’s largest city, with a population of over 10 million. In June and July 2000, a
study was conducted in 44 clinical laboratories with the highest workloads in Karachi. About 26
clinical laboratories were found to be dumping used syringes along with general community
waste sites built by the local municipal government for the collection of general waste, not
healthcare waste. A meager three laboratories used the municipal waste collection system. Four
of the clinical laboratories reported selling used syringes to healthcare waste dealers. About 15 of
17 housekeeping employees at the clinical laboratories acknowledged selling used syringes to
healthcare waste dealers. The reported selling price varied from PKR 3 to 10/kg (USD 0.06-
0.19).
Visits to 26 dumpsites where clinical laboratories dump their waste showed that nearly 25
scavengers earn their livelihood sorting and collecting healthcare waste, including the used
syringes. They reported collecting nearly 25 syringes a day and selling them for PKR 3 to 10/kg
(USD 0.06-0.19) to healthcare waste dealers.
Tracing down the chain, about 10 healthcare waste dealers were contacted and almost all
acknowledged trading healthcare waste and reported selling used syringes to major dealers
specializing in used syringes and located in the main waste recycling business area of the city.
Further down the chain, eight major dealers of used syringes were contacted and all reported
selling used syringes to the plastics industry. Most of the used syringes were crushed into small
granules for the manufacture of plastic items (eg, coat hangers or buckets). Paradoxically, six
dealers offered to supply used syringes to the investigators. Among them, two dealers offered to
supply intact syringes after proper cleaning. One dealer offered to supply the syringes after
proper cleaning and repackaging.
(Source: Mujeeb et al, 2003)
CHAPTER 4_GLOBAL EXPERIENCES AND LESSONS TO LEARN
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