A grey-based assessment model to evaluate health-care waste treatment alternatives in Libya

Abstract

Medical waste is a problem which haunts environmental officials, considering the many environmental and health risks it causes, as well economic losses. Perhaps the single most important resolve that top management should consider as regards medical waste management is to select an appropriate technology to address it. Such a decision is so complex because there are many criteria that decision-makers should take into consideration. The objective of this paper is to develop a grey based decision-making model for evaluating health-care waste treatment alternatives in Libya. This was based on investigating the reality of medical waste management in Libya by collecting data from the most important and largest public hospitals in the major Libyan cities. These data were compiled through direct contact with these hospitals and from the Libyan Medical Waste Organization website. This paper makes trade-offs between four technologies used in waste treatment, according to five criteria. The results show that microwave is the best technology, followed by steam sterilization, while landfilling comes as the last option.