What best describes ‘Waste Minimization’ in healthcare waste management?

Preventing waste generation best describes 'Waste Minimization' in healthcare waste management because it focuses on reducing the amount of waste produced in the first place. This proactive approach involves analyzing processes and practices to identify opportunities to decrease waste outputs, thereby minimizing the environmental and operational impacts associated with waste disposal.

While reusing materials, extracting energy from waste, and sorting waste for recycling are all valuable aspects of sustainability and waste management practices, they occur after waste has already been generated. Waste minimization prioritizes strategies that aim to eliminate or reduce waste generation at the source, ensuring that healthcare facilities operate more efficiently and sustainably from the outset.