International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research

E-ISSN: 2582-2160   •   Impact Factor: 9.24

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Volume 8 Issue 2
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Biomedical Waste Beyond Hospitals: Challenges and Suggestions for Household Biomedical Waste Management in India

Author(s) Ms. Deepika Dhemla, Dr. Sukhwinder Kaur, Ms. Grace Elmin Betu
Country India
Abstract Healthcare is undoubtedly an inevitable facet of human existence. As medical science progressed, diseases also increased manifold. Due to growing urban population handling and disposal of wastes has become a big concern. The management of household biomedical waste (BMW) in India is an emerging regulatory concern that has gained increasing attention in the wake of recent public health crises. ‘Bio-medical waste’ includes any waste generated during diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human beings or animals and household biomedical waste means waste generated at home—such as used syringes, expired medicines, insulin pens, blood-stained or pus-stained cotton, adult/baby diapers, soiled sanitary napkins, pregnancy strips, used condoms and contaminated personal protective equipment. The Bio-medical Waste Management Rules, 2016 (and subsequent amendments) formally include household biomedical waste generated during home healthcare activities (such as for chronic illness, home dialysis, home-based testing) and expect this waste to be segregated and handed separately to municipal authorities. However, implementation is mostly advisory and not mandatory for local authorities, leading to systemic neglect in practice. Doorstep collection and dedicated treatment of household BMW exist primarily during public health crises (e.g., COVID-19 home quarantine), but routine, institutionalized coverage is absent outside select urban areas. In most localities, household BMW is routinely mixed with general municipal waste due to lack of awareness, systems, and resources. Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) are responsible for household BMW, but capacity, funding, and monitoring remain limited, especially in rural/peri-urban areas. There are Common BMW Treatment Facilities (CBMWTFs) in India, primarily serving healthcare institutions rather than households. India lags behind best practices in household biomedical waste management, with significant gaps in collection, infrastructure, and enforcement compared to leading developed countries. This situation exposes significant gaps in segregation practices, infrastructure, public awareness, monitoring, and regulatory oversight. The overall objective of this study is to critically examine present status of household coverage under biomedical waste regulations in India, identify systemic gaps and operational challenges, and propose policy recommendations for scalable and sustainable management approaches. This paper will address the key challenges- technical, financial, regulatory, and social, faced by the household sector and explore why, despite legal acknowledgement, there is still little practical implementation. This study adopts a doctrinal research methodology to systematically analyse statutory provisions, judicial decisions, relevant government reports, and policy commentary to assess legal frameworks in context.
Keywords biomedical waste, biomedical waste regulations, household medical waste, urban local bodies
Published In Volume 8, Issue 2, March-April 2026
Published On 2026-04-03
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E-ISSN 2582-2160
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