The global response to the COVID-19 pandemic has produced tens of thousands of tons of extra health care waste that many facilities are not equipped to handle, according to WHO.
In a recent report, WHO estimated that more than 140 million COVID-19 test kits and 731,000 liters of chemical waste have been shipped through a global supply portal. Also, more than 8 billion vaccine doses have been administered worldwide, amounting to 144,000 tons of additional waste. The test kits alone have the potential to generate 2,600 tons of noninfectious waste, primarily plastic, according to a WHO press