Title: Biomedical waste management in Sri Lanka: a scientific and a legal perspective of the legislation and policies

Authors: Ranil Kavindra Asela Kularatne

Addresses: Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Colombo, No. 35/30, Prof. Stanley Wijesundara Mawatha, Colombo 07, Sri Lanka

Abstract: This article reviews the Sri Lankan legal framework and policies regarding biomedical waste management (BWM). Healthcare facilities require an environmental protection license and a scheduled waste management license from the Central Environmental Authority under the National Environmental Act (main legislation on environmental management). Conditions on radioactive waste management stipulated in the licenses issued by the Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Regulatory Council of the Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Board must be fulfilled. However, there are serious loopholes in the national laws considering the World Health Organization and the International Atomic Energy Agency (for radioactive wastes) requirements. National BWM Policy is a draft and an incomplete document. Therefore, a comprehensive regulation under the main legislation or a separate law on BWM should be introduced while the policy requires a re-formulation and legitimation as a command and control policy. Compliance monitoring by relevant authorities is essential for proper enforcement of the legislation and policy decisions.

Keywords: biomedical wastes; infectious wastes; legislation; policy; radioactive wastes.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEWM.2022.128107

International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, 2022 Vol.30 No.1, pp.69 - 103

Received: 01 Nov 2019
Accepted: 19 Jun 2020
Published online: 06 Jan 2023 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article