Sustainable Dental Waste Management Practices in Bangladesh: Aligning with the UN SDG 2030 Agenda

The management of dental waste is a key aspect of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): 3 (good health), 6 (clean water), and 12 (responsible consumption). In Bangladesh, a lack of resources and unequal implementation can be contributing factors to unsafe clinical waste practices. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to explore the level of awareness, reported practices, and adherence to the World Health Organization (WHO) and DGHS biomedical waste-related guidance on the part of dental professionals.

A cross-sectional survey assembly was used to gather data from 1,000 working dental professionals (September to November 2023). Data were analyzed in SPSS v29. Demographics, awareness, and practices were collated using descriptive statistics. Participants were grouped as high, moderate, and low compliance by an artificially derived compliance score (0-8). Logistic regression was used to test relationships among variables based on semi-phase predictors and good practice.

No participants met the criteria for high compliance. Overall, 68.3% (n = 683) demonstrated moderate compliance and 31.7% (n = 317) demonstrated low compliance. Only 15% reported receiving formal waste management training, and 38.4% were aware of WHO color-coding guidelines. Incautious disposal was prevalent: 37.7% found themselves disposing of sharps into regular cans, and 24.0% disposed of amalgam in general waste. Logistic regression analysis did not identify statistically significant associations between measured individual-level predictors and compliance (Omnibus χ ² (7) = 3.141, p = 0.872; Hosmer-Lemeshow χ ² = 3.899, p = 0.866), with minimal explained variance, indicating limited explanatory value of the included predictors.

The findings indicate partial and inconsistent compliance with recommended biomedical waste practices among dental professionals. While the study does not measure SDG indicators directly, the results highlight areas of policy relevance in relation to SDG targets 3.9, 6.3, and 12.4. Strengthening regulatory enforcement, structured training programs, and system-level infrastructure support may be important considerations for improving compliance.