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COVID-19 medical waste dataset and city-level disposal optimization strategies

Nature Sustainability volume 8, pages 562–573 (2025)Cite this article

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Abstract

A surge in medical waste (MW) during the COVID-19 pandemic threatened environmental health globally. Learning from the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic can help governments to manage MW in the event of similar emergencies in the future. Here we compile a city-level dataset covering the MW generated during the COVID-19 pandemic and the capacity to dispose of it, and develop a model to estimate daily MW from respiratory diseases outbreaks from the test–isolation–treatment chain across 343 Chinese cities. The data collected allow the analysis of MW patterns related to COVID-19 restriction measures at different stages of the pandemic and enable the analysis of the sustainability of MW management. Our model estimates identify city-specific disposal optimization strategies for sustainable MW management. The dataset and the model presented here can support more in-depth research on MW management and aid policy makers dealing with the impacts of MW.

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Fig. 1: Overview of data categories in the city-level dataset on MW management.
Fig. 2: City-level spatial and temporal distributions of LNAT and CMW generation in China during the pandemic (10 January 2020 to 30 April 2022).
Fig. 3: Daily generation and percentage of CMW from treatment (local and imported infected cases) and isolation links (10 January 2020 to 31 May 2022).
Fig. 4: City-level spatial distribution of MW generation, disposal load rate, disposal capacity and their change rates in China.
Fig. 5: Scenario analysis of changes in daily load rates and economic costs of MW disposal facilities by optimizing disposal capacity and emergency strategy.
Fig. 6: Probabilistic risk assessment of city-level surveillance-chain optimization strategies in various epidemic prevention and control scenarios for future early warning.

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Data availability

The dataset on city-level MW management is available on GitHub at https://github.com/logiczhl/COVID-19-Medical-Waste-Dataset (ref. 41). Daily data were collected from the National Health Commission (http://www.nhc.gov.cn/xcs/yqtb/list_gzbd.shtml) and COVID-19 Time Series Infection Data Warehouse (https://github.com/BlankerL/DXY-COVID-19-Data). All versions of the pandemic prevention and control plan released by China are in Supplementary Table 5. The city-level disposal capacity optimization matrix during post pandemic is detailed in Supplementary Table 6. Source data are provided with this paper.

Code availability

The code is available on GitHub at https://github.com/logiczhl/CLACS (ref. 42).

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Joint Scientific Research Fund of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the Science and Technology Development Fund of Macao (FDCT) (72261160655), and the New Cornerstone Science Foundation through the XPLORER PRIZE; X. F. Wen from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment for providing valuable guidance; T. L. Chen at the Beijing Institute of Technology and W. H. Li at the China University of Petroleum for providing code assistance and comments; K. J. Lin at Tsinghua University, S. Q. Zhang, N. Li at Tianjin University, X. L. Ma at Zhengzhou University, J. H. Guan at Beijing University of Technology, Y. Liu at Xiamen University for data collection and collation; H. Q. Liu at Tianjin Chengjian University, Z. H. Liang, Y. H. Wang and Y. S. Feng at Tsinghua University for the revision of the manuscript.

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Zongguo Wen, Hailong Zhao.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Center for Industry of Circular Economy, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China

    Zongguo Wen, Hailong Zhao & Yi Zhang

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  1. Zongguo Wen
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Contributions

Z.W. and H.Z. co-designed the study. H.Z. contributed to data collection and process, conducted technical analyses and results interpretation, and wrote the paper. Z.W. supervised the research, conducted technical analyses and results interpretation, and revised the paper. Y.Z. participated in providing code assistance.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zongguo Wen.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Nature Sustainability thanks Daniel Hoornweg and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work.

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Supplementary information

Supplementary information

Supplementary Figs. 1–3, Discussion and Tables 1–3.

Reporting Summary

Supplementary Table

Comparison of control measures for various types of people in multiple versions of COVID-19 prevention and control plan. City-level disposal capacity optimization matrix during post COVID-19. Key changes before and after COVID-19.

Source data

Source Data Fig. 2

City-level spatial and temporal distributions of large-scale nucleic acid test and CMW generation in China during the pandemic.

Source Data Fig. 3

Daily generation and percentage of CMW from treatment (local and imported infected cases) and isolation links.

Source Data Fig. 4

City-level spatial distribution of MW generation, disposal load rate, disposal capacity and their change rates in China.

Source Data Fig. 5

Changes in daily load rates and economic costs of national and city-level MW disposal facilities by optimizing the conventional capacity strategy and application phase, adjusting the pandemic prevention links and regions for emergency disposal facilities application.

Source Data Fig. 6

Probabilistic risk assessment of city-level surveillance-chain optimization strategies in various epidemic prevention and control for future early warning.

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Wen, Z., Zhao, H. & Zhang, Y. COVID-19 medical waste dataset and city-level disposal optimization strategies. Nat Sustain 8, 562–573 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-025-01550-8

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