Identifying the Predictors of Community Acceptance of Waste Incineration Plants in Urban China: A Qualitative Analysis from a Public Perspective

Due to concerns about consequences to public health, the ecosystem, the natural landscape etc., the planning and construction of waste incineration plants always gives rise to a reaction and even protests from local communities. This study aims to investigate the determinants affecting public acceptance of waste incinerators. We contribute to the existing knowledge in the following ways: (1) this study undertook a qualitative analysis on community acceptance of nimby facilities in the context of China for the first time; (2) through qualitative interview analysis, we emphasize the impact of interactions among multiple factors regarding the acceptance of waste incinerators; (3) we finally construct a framework to systematically explain the formation mechanism of community acceptance of waste incineration plants. Employing in-depth interviews with 22 representative residents, the results indicate that from the perspective of externality, risk perception has a significant negative impact, whereas the effects of benefit perception are positive. In terms of interaction between government and citizen, both justice perception and political efficacy are positive. Social situational factors positively promote community acceptance. Lastly, the impact of individual cognition is mixed. This study has the potential to make a significant difference in better community governance and environment-friendly cities.

Biomedical Waste Management (BMW) Assessment at the RHC Regional Hospital in Tangier, Morocco

Biomedical waste is a real danger to public health and the environment. The quantity of this waste, mainly from hospitals, is constantly increasing, leading to various forms of pollution. This is a cross-sectional, observational study that took place in 2017. A questionnaire was submitted to nurses, doctors and those responsible for hospital hygiene and the operation of waste incinerators to assess the mechanisms and knowledge of medical staff in terms of biomedical waste management. It was confirmed that the hospital wastes are still poorly managed due to the absence of a plan or program for MPSD in all the structures studied, which attests to the non-application of the regulations in force and an inadequate internal management system in most laboratories. Due to the non-availability of health technicians and the lack of material resources in quality and quantity, a staff that is poorly informed about the regulations that apply to BMW, and a poorly recognized and disrespected BMW process that breaks even the clearest instructions regarding incineration and landfill disposal. It has become very urgent to adopt new strategies to be planned for an adequate training to be included for better medical waste management.