The recent emergence of the
COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to the drastic production and use of healthcare and
personal protective equipment, leading to the release of a huge quantity of hazardous medical and
solid wastes in the environment. Meanwhile, these
solid wastes may contribute to the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 viral particles when disposed of without proper treatment and care. Since SARS-CoV-2 could persist on different material surfaces including
plastic, steel, paper, cardboard, cloth, and wood, proper management of these hazardous
solid wastes has become a challenging task during the
COVID-19 pandemic. In this paper, an overview of the consumption of COVID-19-related healthcare and
personal protective equipment along with the production of hazardous
solid waste is presented. The efficient management of these wastes is necessary to prevent the entering of SARS-CoV-2 in various environmental compartments. Therefore, some preventive measures including the use of biodegradable materials for manufacturing
personal protective equipment, minimizing the use of non-biodegradable materials, efficient pre- and-post planning, careful segregation, and disposal are, therefore, proposed for their sustainable management. The findings reported in this paper contribute to tackling the problems associated with hazardous
solid waste management, particularly for low- and middle-income countries.