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Engineer Yahya Abdullah, an international expert and consultant in medical waste management and former head of the hazardous waste portfolio at the Ministry of Environment, has highlighted how Egypt’s new Waste Management Law No. 202 of 2020 closed long-standing loopholes that were previously exploited by violators.

Abdullah explained that the Egyptian legislature adopted a firm and comprehensive approach in the new law, putting an end to discretionary handling of medical waste.

He noted that the Waste Management Law and its executive regulations established strict and binding rules that clearly define the responsibilities of medical facilities, from the point of waste generation to its final disposal.

According to Abdullah, the law explicitly prohibits hospitals, clinics, and laboratories from handing over hazardous medical waste to any party that is not licensed and officially registered with the Ministry of Environment.

It also obliges healthcare facilities to strictly separate medical waste from regular waste, using bags and containers that meet specific color codes and technical specifications.

He stressed that the law treats the open burning of medical waste, or its disposal in unauthorized locations such as public dumps or waterways, as a serious environmental crime. The penalties for such violations include imprisonment for no less than one year, fines ranging from 100,000 to 1 million Egyptian pounds, or both.

Abdullah further pointed out that one of the most significant advances in the new legislation is the expansion of criminal liability. Responsibility no longer falls solely on individual workers who improperly dispose of waste, but also extends to the managers of medical facilities, who are legally accountable for the waste management systems within their institutions.

“This shift has compelled many hospitals and medical facilities to quickly contract licensed and professional waste treatment companies to avoid severe legal consequences,” Abdullah said, emphasizing that the law represents a decisive step toward protecting public health and the environment.

Source: Egypt Today