Exploring the Role of Religious Institutions in Collecting Pharmaceutical Waste

By: Ms. Geetika Chandwani, Development Programme Associate, Religions for Peace
“As a bee gathering nectar does not harm or disturb the colour and fragrance of the flower; so do the wise move through the world.” — Dhammapada: Flowers, verse 49

Healthcare and pharmaceutical waste management are a global concern. When poorly managed, all healthcare and pharmaceutical waste activities, including improper disposal of unused medicines and general waste, affect the environment, the community, and wildlife. Some industrialised countries, such as the United States and Japan, have the legal responsibility and systems to manage waste, including pharmaceutical waste. In recent years, police departments in south-central Pennsylvania in the U.S. collected 5.51 tons of drugs through Pharmaceutical Disposal Locations and converted them into electricity.
In low and middle-income economies, pharmaceutical waste management receives little attention as this sector competes with other sectors of the economy for resources. Since community leaders and religious institutions have been more successful in positively affecting recycling behaviour relative to municipal and education efforts, it is important and even crucial to explore the role of religious communities in supporting Pharmaceutical Disposal programmes.
Faith communities act from a place of higher intentions—oneness, community, love of the other, caring for each other. Encouraging pharmaceutical waste-reducing initiatives, particularly in societies where religion strongly influences the socio-cultural landscape and day-to-day activities, will benefit the environment by lessening the need to extract resources and lowering the potential for contamination.

Discarded drugs are a wasteful and costly problem. Non-adherence, death, and medication change are the leading causes of medication accumulation and consequent wastage. Industrialised countries monitor the amount of hazardous waste generated and have organised structures for handling every type. However, the prevalence of unused medications is high in most countries.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications are among the most frequently wasted medications, and most of the public dispose of their expired medications in trash or toilets. An estimated 3–7% of medications intended for patients go unused in the United States, and similar wastage could cost billions of dollars in other countries annually.
Due to increasing quantities of waste sent to incineration, incinerators will emit more toxins and pollutants into the air, making a greater negative impact on local air quality than a landfill would. While the government continues to search for ways to improve healthcare and waste management, it is crucial to have joint work among the public, healthcare providers, and various faith-based and private organisations to address medication waste adequately.

Lack of policies, public unawareness, carelessness, and/or illiteracy are other reasons for improper disposal of unused medicines that lead to adverse economic and environmental impacts. It is necessary to ascertain people’s disposal practices and attitudes concerning their recycling behaviour.
Pro-recycling and pro-environmental messaging delivered by religious leaders plays an essential role in environmental conservation. For example, in Malaysia, some religious communities operate systematically, conduct recycling programmes, and use institutional structures as a platform for recycling activities. This brings collective potential and helps expand such initiatives to a broader community.
Religious institutions also have the advantage of their institutional structure as an established platform that can be used for Pharmaceutical Disposal programmes. Houses of worship—mosques, temples, and churches—where worshippers congregate and where many community-based activities take place, provide convenience for disposal on such platforms.

Government commitment and support are needed for universal, long-term improvement, although immediate action can be taken locally. Religious leaders can collaborate with foundations and non-profit organisations with medical waste management programmes and those focused on educating and training proficient workers who would contribute their skills to pharmaceutical waste management.
For example, PRISM Bangladesh Foundation, a non-profit voluntary development organisation, has been increasing its development activities through various programmes, including medical waste management, with support from UNDP, UNICEF, UNDRO, and other agencies. Training could be provided to poor and marginalised social groups such as waste cleaners, waste pickers, collectors, and recycling waste operators skilled in separating and collecting waste.

Pharmaceuticals are essential for human health, but they become a concern when entering the environment—through excreted residues or improper disposal. Drug residues find their way into rivers, lakes, and even drinking water and can have devastating effects on both aquatic and human health.
Although the risks associated with hazardous medical waste and the methods of managing that waste are relatively well known, treatment and elimination require a partnership between government, environmental and healthcare scientists, and education and advocacy from health professionals and religious leaders.
A long-term solution requires individual behaviour change, and faith leaders can influence behaviour change at multiple levels, with a greater likelihood of success.

Religious organisations hold a unique position of influence within communities. Together with their supportive groups, they serve a vital function in society, and their encouragement of waste-reducing initiatives will benefit the environment.
Each religious community has its own worldview on the relationship between human beings and the natural environment and the critical role of their community in environmental conservation. Islam and Christianity emphasise human stewardship. Hinduism and Buddhism teach interconnectedness and Karma. Jainism teaches strict non-violence toward all living beings.
Since religious communities’ recycling and waste-disposal activities are motivated primarily by a religious moral responsibility—the mandate that all religious communities are stewards of the earth—this small contribution to ensuring medical waste is properly disposed of and reused (even for energy) is part of the overall care of communities, nations, the Earth itself, and all sentient beings.

REFERENCES

Discarded drugs and medicines converted into electricity – WFMJ
CDC – Medical Waste
Egri, Carolyn. Spiritual Connections with the Natural Environment
Ferronato & Torretta – Waste Mismanagement in Developing Countries
Miyazaki & Une – Infectious waste management in Japan
Mohamad Zeeda – Religious community and recycling
Pharmaceutical contamination in India’s rivers
PRISM Bangladesh Foundation
Living With Medical Wastes – The Daily Star
Shortliffe – Discarded drugs: a wasteful and costly problem
EPA – Medical Waste
Types of Pharmaceutical Waste – VLS Environmental
Akkam et al. – Assessment of Xenoestrogens in Jordanian Water System