Over 38,000 tons of medical waste per year in Morocco
Morocco, Environment, 3/14/2005

Morocco generates over 38,000 tons of medical waste a year, showed a report of the ministry of Territory Development, Water and Environment.

Speaking at a conference on "handling hospital waste," organised here Friday, a ministry official, Rajaa Chefil said that out of these 38,000 tons of medical waste, 12,000 tons are classified hazardous.

She noted that handling this waste is getting even more complex because they contain biologically non-degradable substances such as plastics.

The solid waste problem is increasing mainly because of demographic development, urban expansion and economic development, se pointed out.

According to the report, the median production of household trash is of 0.75 kg per person per day (i.e 4.5 million tons a year) in the urban area, and of 0.3 kg per person per day (i.e 2 million tons a year) in the rural area.

Morocco generates 1 million ton of industrial waste including 120,000 tons that are classified hazardous.

To contain this problem, the ministry has launched awareness campaigns and has adopted a juridical arsenal.

The ministry run many studies to create a national centre for handling hazardous waste. This centre will help handling between 80 to 90 percent of industrial solid waste and between 50 to 75 percent of medical waste classified as hazardous.

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