Transcript Hazardous Wastes Introduction

Chapter 1.2
General policy context
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Context of hazardous waste
management
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wide environmental and development agenda
concern about links between poverty and pollution
integrated approaches to environmental management by
governments
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maturing of corporate management systems and tools
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rising expectations of public reporting

rapidly increasing knowledge

fast pace of technology development
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global trade regimes and multinational corporations
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rising public expectations
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tighter chemicals legislation
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Sustainable Development
 includes environmental, social & economic objectives
 aims at future welfare as well as today
 international blueprint is Agenda 21 - adopted at national
and local levels
 based on partnership approach
 prevention as well as management
 hazardous waste in Chapter 19
 other chapters relevant also eg chemicals, industry
 implemented through national SD plans and policies
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Key terms
Many new terms, often over-lapping, not all
self-explanatory
 integrated pollution control
 industrial ecology
 factor X dematerialisation
 environmental footprint
 environmental management system
 voluntary environmental code
 Cleaner Production
 eco-efficiency
Some organisations use the same definitions to
describe different concepts
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Integration
• Greater integration in government strategies on environmental,
economic and social aspects
• Corporations have translated Agenda 21 into ‘triple bottom line’
• Maturing of policy instruments, management systems and
assessment tools
• Environmental management systems eg ISO 14001 will try to
address and optimise all issues, including waste
• Hazardous waste is just one of a number of challenges
confronting industry and government
• Understanding of context as important as technical knowledge
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Efficient use of resources
Improved resource efficiency is vital for sustainable
development
eg
Cleaner Production
waste prevention
Factor Four and Factor Ten dematerialisation
The aim is to do more with less,
not to do less,
or to do without
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Establishing priorities
National ‘state of the environment’ reports help to
establish government priorities on Sustainable
Development
UNEP’s Global Environmental Outlook (GEO) shows
at global level:
• environmental quality is still deteriorating, in all media
• resource demand is unsustainable
• product consumption is unsustainable
• local improvements are often negated by increased growth
• environmental institutions and laws are not being used
sufficiently
• environmental technologies exist, but are often not employed
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Policy framework
Policy area
Specific focus
Key issues
Trade
Imports
Bans, controls, hazardous
chemicals take-back systems
Exports
Basel Convention
Multinational &
external investors
Apply industrialised country
standards
Industry
Indigenous industries Government assistance
& SMEs
Manpower
Skills
Education/training
Imported skills
Technology transfer
Fiscal
Taxation
Burden on companies
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Evolution of hazardous waste
management
Only recently treated as a separate policy area in
developed countries - contaminated land incidents in
the ‘70s & ‘80s triggered hazardous wastes & pollution
prevention programmes - funds to clean up past
pollution in USA exceed costs of managing today’s
wastes
• Legal liability for pollution changed practice in industry
• Landfill design and operation improved
• On-site recycling & treatment expanded
• Centralised treatment & disposal facilities developed
• Industry began waste reduction programmes eg waste
minimisation, waste prevention, Cleaner Production
Avoid unco-ordinated changes: opportunity for
developing economies to avoid repeating mistakes
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Waste as a Sustainable
Development priority
Wastes:
represent an economic loss of resources
 are costly to manage properly
 interfere with social progress because they
pollute, affect public health
 are significant pollutants of water, land and biota
 are a threat to future development

Hazardous wastes generation and management are:
included in international agendas and priorities
 are subject to multilateral environmental
agreements eg Basel, London Convention (on
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prevention of marine pollution from dumping of wastes)
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Key actors in waste management
• Government policy makers & regulators: environmental and
waste policy, regulation of industry
• Waste generators: manufacturing companies, utilities, service
sector, individuals
• Waste industry: contractors, consultants, trade associations &
professional bodies
• Transport sector including waste transporters
• Consultants conducting EIA and plant permitting processes
• Universities and training bodies eg CP & Basel Centres
• Technology providers
• International agencies & programmes
• Media
• Public groups
• NGOs
• Product development professionals: designers, marketing &
advertising
• Purchasing groups and individuals (including consumers)
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Prevention of hazardous waste
• Common policy objective, less often implemented
• Limited practical guidance, little policy experience
• Requires collaboration not command and control
• Involves broad cross-section of actors
• Requires changes in attitudes and beliefs
Cleaner Production targeted up-stream to identify
opportunities for waste prevention
Waste minimisation looks at ways of reducing the
wastes generated, or hazardous content
Each has a role to play
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Treatment and disposal of
hazardous waste
•Environmentally sound technologies available, but
costly
•Need high level of skill, supervision & organisation
•Effective legislation difficult with limited resources
•Public trust lost through past bad practices
•Waste industry fragmented
•Hazardous waste policies must be linked to wider
pollution control measures
•Waste prevention should be prioritised to ensure
that cheap (or free) disposal does not reduce
incentives
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Life cycle management
•Looks at all of the stages of raw materials
acquisition, processing, use and disposal
•Fits with waste prevention and Cleaner Production
•Tools available - practical, technical, strategic
•Some measures voluntary - may difficult to
implement and enforce
•Some regulated eg Producer Responsibility
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Waste technology
•Waste technologies have evolved along with raised
awareness of issues:
•move from diluting and disposing of wastes to
reducing and treating wastes
•increased attention to waste avoidance and
recycling
•influence of product design on waste
•Landfill is still required
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The importance of the social factor
• public concern resulting from past pollution
• technical complexity confuses public
• poor level of public information
• lack of trust in waste professionals &
government
• NIMBY syndrome an understandable
response
• high level of opposition to new facilities in
many countries
• public wants waste prevention & recycling
put before disposal
• some success where social agenda
recognised
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Case study: lead batteries
Common problem in all countries
Wastes:
• arise from end-of-life products not just from manufacturing
• pose environmental and health risk
• create employment in collection, processing
• recycling creates further hazardous wastes difficult to deal
with, and can be polluting process itself
Issues:
• more efficient batteries harder to recycle (less lead,
complex alloys) = more disposal - product design issue
• international trade bans (Basel) try to prevent export of
problem
• consumer responsibility/motivation not to discard old
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batteries
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The future
•Increasing integration of hazardous waste management
into mainstream environmental programmes
•More stringent standards and stronger social pressures
•More focus on prevention of waste
•Further application of life-cycle management of waste
•Increased need for communication and public
education
•Hazardous wastes will remain a high profile
management activity
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Chapter 1.2 Summary
This chapters sets the context for hazardous waste management
• Sustainable Development
• Key terms
• Need for integration of strategies & efficient use of resources
• Need to establish priorities
• Key actors
• Evolution of hazardous waste mangement: prevention,
treatment & disposal policies including life cycle approach,
‘zero emission’
• Importance of social factor
• Complexity of issues: Case study - lead batteries
• The future
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