Review of Waste Management Practices in the Healthcare Sector of Nova Scotia

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Review of Waste Management Practices in the Healthcare Sector of Nova Scotia Review of Waste Management Practices in the Healthcare Sector of Nova Scotia by Jamil Sinno Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Science at Dalhousie University Halifax, Nova Scotia December 2019 © Copyright by Jamil Sinno, 2019 Dedication Page I would like to acknowledge the support received from the Divert NS graduate scholarship program, M. Kurt Laskow-Pooley (Divert NS), David Bligh (Efficiency NS), Robert Barss (NSHA), Sean Feeney (NSHA), Jann McFarlane (Municipality of Colchester), and Daniel Wang (Intco Recycling). I express my gratitude towards my supervisors, Drs Venkatadri and Diallo, my supervisory committee members: Dr. Peter Vanberkel and Dr. Michelle Adams. I would like to thank Mom and dad for their constant support throughout, Jad for all of his advice and Elodie for all her love and encouragement. ii Table of Contents List of Tables .......................................................................................................................... viii List of Figures .......................................................................................................................... xii Abstract ................................................................................................................................. xvii List of abbreviations used ...................................................................................................... xviii Chapter 1: Introduction ...............................................................................................................1 Chapter 2: Problem Statement .....................................................................................................4 2.1. General Statement ............................................................................................................4 2.2. NSHA Waste Streams ......................................................................................................6 2.2.1. General waste ............................................................................................................7 2.2.2. Recyclables ................................................................................................................8 2.2.3. Cardboard ..................................................................................................................9 2.2.4. Organics .................................................................................................................. 10 2.2.5. Biomedical Waste .................................................................................................... 11 2.2.6. Sharps ...................................................................................................................... 12 2.2.7. Cytotoxic Waste ...................................................................................................... 13 2.2.8. Pharmaceutical Waste .............................................................................................. 14 2.2.9. Confidential Papers .................................................................................................. 15 2.2.10. Electronic Waste .................................................................................................... 15 2.2.11. Chemical Waste ..................................................................................................... 16 2.2.12. Batteries................................................................................................................. 16 2.2.13. Paints ..................................................................................................................... 17 2.2.14. Pressurized Containers ........................................................................................... 17 2.3. Problem Identification .................................................................................................... 17 Chapter 3: Literature Review..................................................................................................... 18 iii Chapter 4: Hospital Visits ......................................................................................................... 41 4.1. Methodology .................................................................................................................. 41 4.2. Hospital current practices ............................................................................................... 41 4.3. Hospital visits ................................................................................................................. 43 4.3.1. QE II Victoria General ............................................................................................. 43 4.3.2. QE II Camp Hill Site ............................................................................................... 45 4.3.3. Dartmouth General .................................................................................................. 46 4.3.4. St. Martha’s Hospital ............................................................................................... 47 4.4. Hospital numbers and charts ........................................................................................... 49 4.4.1. Colchester Regional Hospital ................................................................................... 50 4.4.2. Dartmouth General Hospital .................................................................................... 51 4.4.3. QE II Victoria General ............................................................................................. 52 4.4.4. QE II Camp Hill Site ............................................................................................... 53 4.4.5. Cape Breton Regional Hospital ................................................................................ 54 4.4.6. IWK Health Centre .................................................................................................. 55 4.4.7. Discussion ............................................................................................................... 56 4.5. Waste Collected in Lillian Fraser Memorial & Colchester Health Care Centres .............. 57 4.5.1. Colchester East Hants Health Centre 2016 ............................................................... 57 4.5.2. Colchester East Hants Health Centre 2017 ............................................................... 58 4.5.3. Lillian Fraser 2016 ................................................................................................... 59 4.5.4. Lillian Fraser 2017 ................................................................................................... 60 4.6. Waste in the HRM .......................................................................................................... 60 4.6.1. Central Stores .......................................................................................................... 61 4.6.2. Victoria General ...................................................................................................... 61 4.6.3. Nova Scotia Hospital ............................................................................................... 61 iv 4.6.4. Dartmouth General Hospital .................................................................................... 61 4.6.5. Camp Hill Medical Centre ....................................................................................... 62 4.6.6. Burnside Corrections Facility ................................................................................... 62 4.6.7. Cobequid Community Health Centre ....................................................................... 62 4.6.8. Connections Clubhouse............................................................................................ 62 4.6.9. Integrated Chronic Care ........................................................................................... 62 4.7. Other HRM waste streams .............................................................................................. 62 4.7.1. Dartmouth General .................................................................................................. 63 4.7.2. Eastern Shore ........................................................................................................... 63 4.7.3. Hants Community Hospital ...................................................................................... 63 4.7.4. Musquodoboit Valley Memorial .............................................................................. 63 4.7.5. Nova Scotia Psych Hospital ..................................................................................... 63 4.7.6. Twin Oaks Memorial ............................................................................................... 64 4.7.7. QE II Victoria General ............................................................................................. 64 4.7.8. QE II Camp Hill ...................................................................................................... 64 4.7.9. Cobequid Community Health Centre ....................................................................... 64 4.7.10. Community Mental Health Bayers Road ................................................................ 64 4.7.11. CDHA Blood Collection Centre ............................................................................. 65 4.7.12. St. Margaret’s Bay Road Health Centre.................................................................. 65 4.7.13. Dartmouth
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