The accumulation of medical waste is a problem for human health and the environment. Its destruction requires the allocation of large funds, even if it is exported, as is the case with our country. The construction of incinerators is a special story. The authorities did not consider solving this issue.
Medical waste can be very dangerous for humans and the environment due to its chemical composition and possible infectivity. The inability to dispose of waste is the biggest problem in our country, because we do not have incinerators according to European standards. The current situation shows that we will not even have them, but they state that there are other solutions.
The simplest option is to purchase devices that work on the principle of microwaves. It would be the fastest and easiest way to start at the moment. Our country can't afford to build modern incinerators. It is possible to build a incinerator at regional level, considering the fact that even the countries in the region have not solved the waste problem, said Dr. Sc. Aida Vilic-Svraka, a specialist in hygiene and health ecology.
Incinerators, they say, are too expensive. Our country, as well as others in the region, disposes of chemical and pharmaceutical waste and exports it through authorized companies to countries that have professional incinerators with the ability to achieve high temperatures and environmental standards. These are the most often visited countries in the Balkans, Italy, Germany and Austria. The price of exports is very high.
It is hard to bear that cost, because the price ranges from 4 -- 6 BAM per kilogram. However, in order to be exported at all, it must be grouped somewhere, according to Tomislav Grizelj, owner of the company Grizelj d.o. Chemical and pharmaceutical waste is disposed of and exported in 2008 by the Ordinance on Waste Management. The infectious, which can be extremely dangerous, is sterilized, ground, and dumped in landfills. To the average five tons of medical waste that BiH produces per day, we need to add a new so-called corona waste. Additional burdens can be created by masks, gloves, protective medical suits, vaccines, injections, and syringes. Export is the only option, but still an expensive option. The interlocutors said that different types of infectious waste, placenta, dental waste, but also used diapers that are often found in containers represent an additional problem.
The most dangerous thing that is present are baby diapers and adult diapers. Grizelj pointed out that infectious waste is what ends up in municipal waste.
Medical waste management requires financial investment, especially during a pandemic. But it is necessary to make new rules and concessions in order to prevent the spread of various diseases and infections, as well as the destruction of land and the environment by accumulating waste, which leaves severe consequences.