Many hospitals or health care facilities have faced financial difficulties and thus they have attempted to find cost-effective treatment
and disposal methods of their regulated medical wastes (RMWs). This study investigated generation volume and sources,
composition, and treatment and disposal methods for RMWs obtained from three out of the five typical city hospitals in Massachusetts
for which we could obtain relevant data on medical waste. Also, this study compared the generation patterns and amounts
of RMWs between the hospital and the medical school. The yearly operational treatment and disposal costs of RMWs based on
different treatment and disposal methods were analyzed for one hospital. The most cost-effective option of four different treatment
and disposal options studied was to combine on-site incineration and microwave technologies. Finally, this study identified measures
for the effective waste characterization methods for the reduction of treatment and disposal costs of RMWs. By careful
exclusion of non-RMW from RMW waste streams, hospitals can reduce the RMW volume that requires special treatment and
reduce disposal costs.