Deposit-Refund Systems: A Solution to Medical Waste Management

摘要

This study proposes a system for the disposal of in-home health-care-generated syringes. The num- ber of people receiving in-home health care is increasing and syringes are frequently disposed of along with regular household solid waste. The number of risks associated with the unsafe disposal of this type of waste will, therefore, increase. However, a cradle-to-grave regulation of such small generators of medical waste is too costly. This study argues that a deposit-refund system could be a solution for the syringe-disposal problem.