Analysis of medical waste data before and after the COVİD-19 pandemic

The increase in population and urbanization, the increase in the level of social welfare, the development of technology, the increase in purchasing power, the increase in consumption habits and behaviors, the pursuit of luxury and quality in services increase the amount of waste. This study examines the separate waste collection and reduction strategies and the waste management of Trabzon Provincial Ambulance Service and Public Health Centers and the impact of Covid-19 on the amount and distribution of waste in these institutions. In order to examine the effect of Covid-19 infection on the amount and distribution of waste, the data of the year 2020, when the Covid-19 infection was first seen in our country, and the previous and following years were compared. In the Trabzon Province Ambulance Service, more medical waste (8641 kg) emerged in 2020, the year when the first case of Covid-19 was seen in our country, compared to the years before and after. In the Community Health Center, the amount of medical waste, which increased considerably in 2020, was the maximum amount of medical waste (5350 kg) in 2021.