GENERATION OF
HAZARDOUS WASTES |
Environmental |
Chapter 20 |
Driving Force |
1. Indicator
(a) Name: Generation of hazardous wastes.
(b) Brief Definition: The total amount of hazardous wastes
generated per year through industrial or other waste generating
activities, according to the definition of hazardous waste as referred to
in the Basel Convention and other related conventions (see sections 3(e)
and 7 below). (c) Unit of Measurement: Metric tonnes or tonnes per
unit of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
2. Placement in the Framework
(a) Agenda 21: Chapter 20: Environmentally
Sound Management of Hazardous Wastes, including Prevention of Illegal
International Traffic in Hazardous Wastes.
(b) Type of Indicator: Driving Force.
3. Significance (Policy Relevance)
(a) Purpose: In the case of industrial
wastes it provides a measure of the extent and type of industrialization
in a country and in this connection industrial activities of using
technologies and processes generating hazardous wastes.
(b) Relevance to Sustainable/Unsustainable
Development: The generation of hazardous wastes has a direct impact on
health and the environment through exposure to this kind of wastes.
Normally, long term exposure is required before the manifestation of
harmful effects. Reduced generation of hazardous wastes may indicate
either reduced industrial activities in a country, introduction of cleaner
production in the industrial processes, or changing patterns in consumers'
habits, which implies savings in the use of energy and raw material as
well as improving protection of landscapes. The introduction of
environmentally sound management systems for hazardous wastes implies
reduction of risks to health and environment due to lesser exposure to
hazardous wastes.
If one studies the different categories of wastes
being generated this provides an indication of the nature of industrial
activities being undertaken in a country. In the case of other hazardous
wastes such as hospital wastes it is first of all a measure of the size of
population, and second, the percentage of this population being treated in
hospitals and other medical care units.
(c) Linkages to Other Indicators: This
indicator is linked to the amount of hazardous wastes exported or
imported; as well as to the indicators on area of land contaminated by
hazardous wastes, and expenditures on hazardous waste treatment or
disposal.
(d) Targets: No quantitative targets exist
at the international level. In Agenda 21, Chapter 20, an overall target of
"preventing or minimizing the generation of hazardous wastes as part
of an overall integrated cleaner production approach" is provided.
Targets exist at the national level in many countries.
(e) International Conventions and Agreements:
The following conventions and agreements pertain to this indicator: Basel
Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes
and their Disposal; Bamako Convention on the Ban on the Import into Africa
and the Control of Transboundary Movement within Africa; Waigani
Convention to Ban the Importation of Hazardous and Radioactive Wastes into
Forum Island Countries, and to Control the Transboundary Movement and
Management of Hazardous Wastes within the South Pacific Region; Central
American Agreement; Draft Protocol for the Prevention of Pollution of the
Mediterranean Sea by Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their
Disposal; Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Council Decisions and ED Council Directives and Regulation on Waste and
Hazardous Wastes.
4. Methodological Description and Underlying
Definitions
(a) Underlying Definitions and Concepts: In
order to facilitate the definition of whether a waste, as defined under
the Basel Convention, is hazardous or not, the Technical Working Group
established under the Basel Convention has been mandated by the Conference
of the Parties to undertake work on hazard characterization (Decision
III/1 of the third meeting of the Conference of the Parties). In addition,
the Technical Working Group is to develop lists of wastes which are always
hazardous and, on the other hand, lists of wastes which are not subject of
the Convention. This work, which is expected to be finalized in 1997, will
facilitate decisions on priority wastes to be subject to cleaner
production efforts or improved technological changes.
In relation to the definition of hazardous wastes
under the Basel Convention (article 1 of the Convention), it should be
noted that under article 3 of the Convention, Parties should inform the
Secretariat of the Convention (SBC) of wastes, other than those listed in
Annexes I and II of the Convention, considered as hazardous under national
legislation. This is to enable all Parties to respect this designation in
relation to planned transboundary movements involving such wastes.
(b) Measurement Methods: In relation to the
Basel Convention, its Secretariat requests information from the Parties to
the Convention on a yearly basis regarding the amount of hazardous wastes
generated at the national level. This information is being introduced in
the SBC data base, which includes data and information on hazardous wastes
related issues in accordance with Articles 13 and 16 of the Convention.
Other agencies, such as OECD, are also collecting information on hazardous
wastes generated by OECD countries.
(c) The Indicator in the DSR Framework:
Generation of hazardous wastes which is an indicator of the extent to
which environmentally unsound technologies are being used in the
production process. It also includes, through the definition of hazardous
wastes, activities concerning international trade in such wastes for
recovery or recycling operations. Thus, this indicator is a Driving Force
in the DSR Framework. The impact of hazardous wastes can be measured by
state indicators such as air and water pollution and contaminated soils.
Response indicators, such as expenditures on hazardous wastes treatment or
the introduction of cleaner technologies in industry, are of course
directly related to protection of human health and the environment.
(d) Limitations of the Indicator: The
present problem of defining whether a waste is hazardous or not will, in
some cases, cause difficulties in relation to the use of amounts of
hazardous wastes generated as a sustainable development indicator. The
quantity of the hazardous wastes generated alone may not reflect changes
towards a more "sustainable" society. Consideration of the
nature of the different kinds of hazardous wastes generated would be a
better indicator of sustainable development progress. Availability and
accuracy of data represents another limitation of this indicator. Finally,
the nature of the waste itself makes it sometimes difficult to use them as
indicators because wastes are often mixed and not produced to
specifications.
(e) Alternative Definitions: The amounts and
type of specific waste streams generated per year through industrial or
other waste generating activities as defined in the Basel Convention
represents an alternative indicator which would allow for normalization
based on relative toxicity.
5. Assessment of the Availability of Data from
International and National Sources
(a) Data Needed to Compile the Indicator:
Data on the generation of hazardous wastes.
(b) Data Availability: Data are available
for many developed countries, but very few developing countries are
collecting data on hazardous waste generation. The Parties of the Basel
Convention are requested to provide data to the Secretariat of the
Convention on a yearly basis.
Assistance to developing countries will be needed
in identifying the main hazardous waste streams being generated in their
countries in order to prepare and maintain inventories of hazardous
wastes. In this connection difficulties may be encountered in relation to
hazardous waste generation by small scale enterprises, since they are
scattered and often operating on an informal basis and are therefore not
registered. It may be less of a problem to identify amounts of hazardous
waste generated by larger industries, since they are normally registered.
(c) Data Sources: The primary source of data
at the international level is the SBC.
6. Agencies Involved in the Development of the
Indicator
(a) Lead Agency: The lead agency is the
Secretariat to the Basel Convention (SBC), United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP). The contact point is the Coordinator, SBC; fax no. (41
22) 797 3454.
(b) Other Organizations: Other organizations
include: UNEP/IE, UNEP/IRPTC, ICRED, OECD, US Environmental Protection
Agency, Switzerland, Institute for Applied Environmental Economics, the
Netherlands, European Institute of Business Administration, France,
Technical University, Graz, Austria, Wuppertal Institute, CEFIC,
Netherlands National Institute of Public Health and Environment,
Environment Canada.
7. Further Information
Basel Convention for the Control of Transboundary
Movement of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal.
Bamako Convention.
Waigani Convention.
Draft Protocol for the Prevention of Pollution of
the Mediterranean Sea by Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and
Their Disposal.
Bakkes, J.A. et al. An Overview of Environmental
Indicators: State of the Art and Perspectives. Environment Assessment
Technical Reports. Netherlands National Institute of Public Health and
Environmental Protection in cooperation with the University of Cambridge,
United Kingdom. June 1994.
Reporting and Transmission of Information under the
Basel Convention (UNEP/CHW.3/Inf.6), Section on Waste Generation, Tables 5
and 6.
IMPORTS AND
EXPORTS OF HAZARDOUS WASTES |
Environmental |
Chapter 20 |
Driving Force |
1. Indicator
(a) Name: Imports and exports of hazardous
wastes.
(b) Brief Definition: Total amounts of hazardous wastes subject to
transboundary movements, including a breakdown of specific types of
hazardous wastes according to definitions of the Basel Convention.
(c) Unit of Measurement: Metric tonnes.
2. Placement in the Framework
(a) Agenda 21: Chapter 20: Environmentally
Sound Management of Hazardous Wastes, including Prevention of Illegal
International Traffic in Hazardous Wastes.
(b) Type of Indicator: Driving Force.
3. Significance (Policy Relevance)
(a) Purpose: the indicator shows the extent
to which different categories of hazardous wastes are being exported or
imported, as well as the countries involved in the transboundary movement.
(b) Relevance to Sustainable/Unsustainable
Development:
This indicator is related to the amount of
hazardous wastes being generated in a particular country, to the
availability of disposal options in the country of export and import, and
to the demand in the country of export or import to recycle and/or use the
waste as secondary raw material. It provides a measure of current trade
practices in hazardous wastes.
By treating hazardous wastes as close to source of
generation as possible, the need for transboundary movements of such
wastes is reduced, and harm to human health and the environment is
minimized. In some cases transboundary movements may be necessary in order
to ensure the environmentally sound treatment and disposal of such wastes.
Transboundary movement of hazardous wastes may also be justified if such
wastes are going to be used as secondary raw material or for energy
recovery.
(c) Linkages to Other Indicators: This
indicator is, of course, linked to the indicators on hazardous waste
generation, and expenditures on hazardous waste treatment. It is also
linked to
economic indicators, such as export and import of
goods and services (which would include non-ferrous metals and precious
metals), and GDP per capita.
(d) Targets: According to the Basel
Convention, a decision was adopted at its second meeting of the Conference
of the Parties (decision II/12) to ban transboundary movements of
hazardous wastes from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD) countries to non-OECD countries with immediate effect
for disposal and for recycling as of 31 December 1997. As a follow-up, a
decision was adopted at the third meeting of the Conference of the Parties
(decision III/1) to amend the Convention to this effect. The Bamako
Convention for Africa as well as the Waigani Convention for South Pacific
already have provisions for a total ban of import of hazardous wastes into
their respective regions. Under the Basel Convention, no specific targets
have been set to control or reduce the transboundary movements of
hazardous wastes.
(e) International Conventions and Agreements:
The following conventions and agreements pertain to this indicator: Basel
Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes
and their Disposal; Bamako Convention on the Ban on the Import into Africa
and the Control of Transboundary Movement within Africa (not yet in
force); Waigani Convention to Ban the Importation of Hazardous and
Radioactive Wastes into Forum Island Countries, and to Control the
Transboundary Movement and Management of Hazardous Wastes within the South
Pacific Region (not yet in force); Central American Agreement; Draft
Protocol for the Prevention of Pollution of the Mediterranean Sea by
Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal (to be
adopted April 1966); Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD) Council Decisions and ED Council Directives and
Regulation on Waste and Hazardous Wastes.
4. Methodological Description and Underlying
Definitions
(a) Underlying Definitions and Concepts:
Export or import of hazardous wastes is the total yearly quantity of
hazardous waste subject to transboundary movement which takes place in
accordance with the Basel Convention or any of the other legally binding
instruments referred to in section 3e above, from (or to) one State to (or
from) another, possibly passing through one or several transit States. It
can also be the total yearly quantity of any specific category of
hazardous wastes, subject to transboundary movements.
In order to facilitate the definition of whether a
waste, as defined under the Basel Convention, is hazardous or not, the
Technical Working Group established under the Basel Convention has been
mandated by the Conference of the Parties to undertake work on hazard
characterization (Decision III/1 of the third meeting of the Conference of
the Parties). In addition, the Technical Working Group is to develop lists
of wastes which are always hazardous and, on the other hand, lists of
wastes which are not subject of the Convention. This work, which is
expected to be finalized in 1997, will facilitate decisions on priority
wastes to be subject to cleaner production efforts or improved
technological changes.
(b) Measurement Methods: The Parties of the
Basel Convention are requested to report on a yearly basis information
regarding transboundary movements of hazardous wastes or other wastes in
which they have been involved. The information should include the amount
of hazardous wastes or other wastes exported or imported, their category
characteristics, origin, destination, any transit country, and disposal
methods for the wastes in question. This information is compiled and
entered into a database by the Secretariat of the Convention, which
analyzes the data and presents a compilation and summary of all
information provided to the Conference of the Parties of the Basel
Convention on a regular basis.
The amount of hazardous wastes exported has to be
measured by the exporter, and entered into the appropriate place in the
notification and movement documents, which have to be used for each case
of a transboundary movement according to the provisions of Article 6 of
the Convention.
(c) The Indicator in the DSR Framework: The
movement of hazardous wastes represents a Driving Force indicator in the
DSR Framework.
(d) Limitations of the Indicator: The
present problem of defining whether a waste is hazardous or not will, in
some cases, cause difficulties in relation to the use of amounts of
hazardous wastes generated as a sustainable development indicator. The
quantity of the hazardous wastes generated alone may not reflect changes
towards a more "sustainable" society. Consideration of the
nature of the different kinds of hazardous wastes generated would be a
better indicator of sustainable development progress. Availability,
accuracy, and harmonization of data represent other limitations of this
indicator. Finally, the nature of the waste itself makes it sometimes
difficult to use them as indicators because wastes are often mixed and not
produced to specifications. Additional limitations relate to the existence
of illegal traffic in hazardous wastes.
(e) Alternative Definitions: The amount of
exports in proportion to the total hazardous waste generated, and the
relationship between imports and the treatment capacity of a country
represent two possible supplementary indicators.
5. Assessment of the Availability of Data from
International and National Sources
(a) Data Needed to Compile the Indicator:
Information on the amounts, categories and characteristics of each type of
hazardous wastes or other wastes being exported and/or imported for each
case of transboundary movement.
(b) Data Availability: It should be possible
to obtain data regularly, provided that a notification form has been used
for each transboundary movement and the government has a procedure to
record and monitor this data on a continuous basis at the national level.
This is
normally the case for developed countries which are
Parties to the Basel Convention. However, many developing countries have
no such procedure in place at this time.
(c) Data Sources: In the case of the Basel
Convention, each Party is obliged under Article 5 to designate a competent
authority and a focal point. The competent authority is the entity in the
government which should receive the notification of a transboundary
movement of hazardous wastes or other wastes, and the focal point should
receive and submit information as provided for in Articles 13 and 16,
including information on export and import of hazardous wastes.
6. Agencies Involved in the Development of the
Indicator
(a) Lead Agency: The lead agency is the
Secretariat to the Basel Convention (SBC), United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP). The contact point is the Coordinator, SBC; fax no. (41
22) 797 3454.
(b) Other Organizations: Other organizations
include: UNEP/IE, UNEP/IRPTC, ICRED, OECD, US Environmental Protection
Agency, Switzerland, Institute for Applied Environmental Economics, the
Netherlands, European Institute of Business Administration, France,
Technical University, Graz, Austria, Wuppertal Institute, CEFIC,
Netherlands National Institute of Public Health and Environment,
Environment Canada.
7. Further Information
(a) Further Readings:
Basel Convention for the Control of Transboundary
Movement of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal.
Bamako Convention.
Waigani Convention.
Bakkes, J.A. et al. An Overview of Environmental
Indicators: State of the Art and Perspectives. Environment Assessment
Technical Reports. Netherlands National Institute of Public Health and
Environmental Protection in cooperation with the University of Cambridge,
United Kingdom. June 1994.
Reporting and Transmission of Information under the
Basel Convention (UNEP/CHW.3/Inf.6), Section on Waste Generation, Tables 5
and 6.
(b) Status of the Methodology:
The methodology agreed under the Basel Convention
is the obligation: (i) to use the notification and movement document by
the exporter of hazardous wastes and other wastes; and (ii) that the
government designated focal point report on the amounts of hazardous
wastes exported and imported to the Secretariat of the Basel Convention on
a yearly basis.
AREA OF LAND
CONTAMINATED WITH HAZARDOUS WASTES |
Environmental |
Chapter 20 |
State |
1. Indicator
(a) Name: Area of land contaminated by
hazardous wastes.
(b) Brief Definition: The area of contaminated and clean-up sites
and/or land in a country as result of pollution and/or emissions or
illegal dumping of hazardous wastes in unprotected or unsuitable
sites/land areas, where no appropriate measures have been taken to prevent
harm to human health and the environment due to exposure of hazardous
wastes.
(c) Unit of Measurement: Km2.
2. Placement in the Framework
(a) Agenda 21: Chapter 20: Environmentally
Sound Management of Hazardous Wastes, including Prevention of Illegal
International Traffic in Hazardous Wastes.
(b) Type of Indicator: State.
3. Significance (Policy Relevance)
(a) Purpose: This indicator can be used to
assess current threats to human health and the environment, to detect
trends in land pollution due to unsound hazardous waste management
practices or illegal dumping and to assess risks from contaminated sites
and set up priorities for decontamination and/or clean-up.
(b) Relevance to Sustainable/Unsustainable
Development: Contaminated land is a sign of unsustainable development.
Decreases in the area of contaminated land represents a trend towards
sustainable development, since it diminishes the risks of exposure to
hazardous wastes causing harmful effects on human health and the
environment. To achieve this and to prevent future contamination of land
by hazardous wastes as far as possible, the management of these wastes
should be improved including introduction of cleaner production processes
in industries and the prevention of spills and misuse of pesticides and
fuels in agriculture. The impact by contaminated lands has a negative
effect on human health and the environment, either by causing toxic
emissions from the sites affecting nearby populations, or by absorption of
toxic substances into the environment.
(c) Linkages to Other Indicators: This
indicator is directly related to the ones on hazardous waste generation,
expenditures on hazardous waste treatment, and export and import of
hazardous wastes. It is also closely connected with the following
indicators: use of agriculture pesticides, use of fertilizers, arable land
per capita, area of land reclaimed, and land condition change.
(d) Targets: No specific targets relate to
this indicator. However, the targets set in other areas of Agenda 21 have
bearing on the amount of contaminated land. Chapter 14, for example, calls
for mechanisms to control the distribution and use of pesticides by the
year 2000. Such objectives could contribute to decreases in the area of
contaminated land.
(e) International Conventions and Agreements:
The following conventions and agreements pertain to this indicator: Basel
Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes
and their Disposal; Bamako Convention on the Ban on the Import into Africa
and the Control of Transboundary Movement within Africa; Waigani
Convention to Ban the Importation of Hazardous and Radioactive Wastes into
Forum Island Countries, and to Control the Transboundary Movement and
Management of Hazardous Wastes within the South Pacific Region; Central
American Agreement; Draft Protocol for the Prevention of Pollution of the
Mediterranean Sea by Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their
Disposal; Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Council Decisions, ED Council Directives and Regulation on Waste and
Hazardous Wastes, ACP/Lome Convention, and International Code of Conduct
on the Distribution and use of Pesticides.
4. Methodological Description and Underlying
Definitions
(a) Underlying Definitions and Concepts: The
indicator to be measured includes land contamination due to lack of
environmentally sound management of hazardous wastes generated through
industrial or other waste generating activities (for example, from
military establishments), illegal dumping, and/or through contamination in
relation to accidents involving hazardous wastes. The definition of
hazardous wastes for this indicator should follow those stipulated by the
provisions of the Basel Convention. In order to use this indicator in a
meaningful way, there is a need to develop criteria for a more precise
definition of contaminated lands, by taking into account concentration
levels of specific hazardous waste constituents and also considering what
type of land is contaminated, whether arable land, land located in
protected areas, land close to human habitats, soil conditions, degree of
contamination, as well as size and depth of contamination.
(b) Measurement Methods: The indicator
should be measured in km2.
(c) The Indicator in the DSR Framework: The
area of land contaminated by hazardous wastes is an indicator on the lack
of environmentally sound management of hazardous wastes. It also shows a
lack of appropriate control and enforcement mechanisms to prevent, for
instance, illegal dumping, accidents involving hazardous wastes; or
insufficient capacity to manage such wastes. The indicator is a measure of
State in the DSR Framework.
(d) Limitations of the Indicator: The
indicator needs to be further developed in terms of the classification of
contaminated land in order to become as useful as possible (see section 4a
above). Land tenure aspects are critical; radioactive contamination is an
important consideration in the case of mixed contamination which could, in
particular, be relevant to military sites.
(e) Alternative Definitions: Measurement by
land type would provide additional meaning to this indicator. However, the
data are probably not available in many countries. For contamination of
running waters or fragile ecosystem, other measures may be required.
5. Assessment of the Availability of Data from
International and National Sources
(a) Data Needed to Compile the Indicator:
data on types and concentrations of specific waste constituents; data and
information on type of contaminated land (arable land, protected area,
land close to human settlements, etc.); sources of contamination; number
of contaminated sites/land areas per country and also number per critical
area; number of sites cleaned-up per year; and area of each contaminated
site/land.
(b) Data Availability: No regular data
collection is being undertaken. However, data are available for some,
mainly developed countries.
(c) Data Sources: Data may be available in
some countries from government ministries in charge of agriculture,
land-use, planning and/or environment, and the military. International
organizations such as the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Soil
Reference and Information Center (ISRIC), World Resources Institute, and
the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) are
potential data sources..
6. Agencies Involved in the Development of the
Indicator
(a) Lead Agency: The lead agency is the
Secretariat to the Basel Convention (SBC), United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP). The contact point is the Coordinator, SBC; fax no. (41
22) 797 3454.
(b) Other Organizations: Other organizations
include: FAO, UNEP, ISRIC, World Resources Institute, and OECD. Countries
with experience in this area include: Canada, Denmark, Netherlands,
Norway, the United Kingdom, and the USA.
7. Further Information
Basel Convention for the Control of Transboundary
Movement of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal; Bamako Convention; and
Waigani Convention.
EXPENDITURE ON
HAZARDOUS WASTE TREATMENT |
Environmental |
Chapter 20 |
Response |
1. Indicator
(a) Name: Expenditure on hazardous waste
treatment.
(b) Brief Definition: Total expenditures by government
institutions, state-owned enterprises, municipalities, or by the private
sector on treatment of all hazardous wastes indicating breakdown of total
costs for each type of hazardous wastes according to definitions in the
Basel Convention. Treatment includes some disposal operations as described
in the Basel Convention.
(c) Unit of Measurement: $US.
2. Placement in the Framework
(a) Agenda 21: Chapter 20: Environmentally
Sound Management of Hazardous Wastes, including Prevention of Illegal
International Traffic in Hazardous Wastes.
(b) Type of Indicator: Response.
3. Significance (Policy Relevance)
(a) Purpose: This indicator represents the
commitment by all levels of government and the private sector to minimize
risks posed to human health and the environment by exposure to hazardous
wastes.
(b) Relevance to Sustainable/Unsustainable
Development: Increase in expenditures inhazardous waste treatment may
indicate an increased concern by government and the private-sector to
reduce threats of exposure to hazardous wastes. The expenditures may
result from the setting of environmental standards, introduction of
legislative and non-regulatory measures such as economic
incentives/disincentives, voluntary plans, enforcement, and capacity
building programmes. The level of expenditures in treatment of hazardous
wastes by government, municipal, and the private sector could also reflect
on the efforts of other stakeholders like the academic sector and
non-government organizations (NGOs) which can devote important human and
financial resources to the implementation of research and development
projects, assessment of community case issues, and public awareness
campaigns.
Care must be taken in the interpretation of the
indicator. The indicator may also indicate an increased generation or
importation of hazardous wastes at the national level. In addition, a
decrease in expenditure on hazardous waste treatment could be the result
of the introduction of waste minimization practices in the production
process, decreases in the manufacture of goods
which generate hazardous wastes due to economic
recession, or the shifting of public and private sector expenditures to
other priority areas.
(c) Linkages to Other Indicators: This
indicator is directly linked to the one on hazardous waste generation, and
to a lesser extent to the indicator on import and export of hazardous
wastes. It is also directly related to the indicators on environmental
protection expenditure as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
(d) Targets: No international targets exist.
National targets may exist in some member countries of the Organisation
for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), particularly in order to
promote waste minimization efforts by industry.
(e) International Conventions and Agreements:
The following conventions and agreements pertain to this indicator: Basel
Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes
and their Disposal; Bamako Convention on the Ban on the Import into Africa
and the Control of Transboundary Movement within Africa; Waigani
Convention to Ban the Importation of Hazardous and Radioactive Wastes into
Forum Island Countries, and to Control the Transboundary Movement and
Management of Hazardous Wastes within the South Pacific Region; Central
American Agreement; Draft Protocol for the Prevention of Pollution of the
Mediterranean Sea by Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their
Disposal; Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Council Decisions and ED Council Directives and Regulation on Waste and
Hazardous Wastes.
4. Methodological Description and Underlying
Definitions
(a) Underlying Definitions and Concepts:
There is a need to work further on this indicator and consider whether it
would not be more useful to measure it as an expenditure in relation to
the amount of hazardous waste generated or as a percentage of the GDP.
There is also a need to identify the kind of treatment methods which are
included for the use of this indicator, for example, disposal operations.
Such operations would include expenditure related to resource recovery,
recycling, reclamation, reuse or alternative uses (such as, incineration,
biological treatment, landfill, physical-chemical treatment, etc.).
(b) Measurement Methods: Expenditures
incurred by government agencies, municipalities, and private sector
enterprises designed for hazardous waste treatment could relatively easily
be measured by calculating all related costs for treatment of the wastes.
The costs, however, incurred for the treatment of hazardous wastes
generated in the production process within a company are more difficult to
estimate, since these costs would be considered as part of the general
operational costs of the company.
The calculation of costs of treatment of hazardous
wastes in real terms is difficult, however, because of the complexity of
the relationships with other socioeconomic parameters that could be
specific to the country.
(c) The Indicator in the DSR Framework: This
indicator can be used to assess the effort to develop and manage hazardous
waste management strategies, including the introduction of cleaner
production and other waste minimization measures as part of the life cycle
approach. It can also be used for the identification of priority waste
streams to be subject to waste minimization efforts in order to promote
maximum cost efficiency in waste treatment. Furthermore, it can be used to
measure progress in the implementation of hazardous waste management
strategies both at the national level and at the level of individual
industries or industry sectors. The indicator reflects a State measure in
the DSR Framework.
(d) Limitations of the Indicator: As
mentioned above, the indicator needs to be further developed especially
with regard to the definition of the kind of treatment methods to be
included. Illegal traffic of hazardous wastes as a result of high
disposal/treatment costs need to be considered, but are difficult to
quantify.
The indicator is further limited by the fact that
the policies of treatment of hazardous wastes are also influenced by
parameters other than expenditures. Finally, depending on their legal
status, private, semi-private, state-owned companies may be reluctant to
reveal costs for treatment of hazardous wastes. Such enterprises could,
however, be required to estimate and provide information of such costs.
(e) Alternative Definitions: It could be
more useful to measure the indicator using $US per 1,000 tonnes of
hazardous waste generated, or as a percentage of the GDP. However, more
development work is required (see section 4a above).
The use of the indicator would be optimized by
referring to specific waste streams, recognized treatment methods, and
levels of technology and management practices. Relationships between
political, legal, economic and social parameters for different levels of
development would be required in order to use the indicator in a uniform
manner. By giving a more precise definition, it would be easier to compare
data between different types of waste generated in a particular country
and also to facilitate comparison of treatment costs with other countries.
5. Assessment of the Availability of the Data from
International and National Sources
(a) Data Needed to Compile the Indicator:
There is a need to identify and agree upon which costs are related to the
treatment of hazardous wastes such as investment in infrastructure
including site, buildings and hardware; salaries for operation of
facilities; chemicals and other products required for treatment;
maintenance; etc. Other actual costs to consider in relation to treatment
are transportation costs to bring the waste to the site for treatment and,
if applicable, transportation after treatment to, for example, a landfill
or any other disposal site.
(b) Data Availability: Data may be available
in several OECD countries, but most probably not on a comprehensive basis
and particularly not from individual manufacturers who treat the wastes
they generate themselves. Data from non-OECD countries may be available
only if specific hazardous waste treatment facilities are provided by the
government or by the private sector. No data are regularly collected at
present on a global or regional level, for example through the activities
of the Basel Convention.
(c) Data Sources: Potential data sources
include government agencies, commercial private sector facilities,
specific industrial sectors, or individual industries.
6. Agencies Involved in the Development of the
Indicator
(a) Lead Agency: The lead agency is the
Secretariat to the Basel Convention (SBC), United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP). The contact point is the Coordinator, SBC; fax no. (41
22) 797 3454.
(b) Other Organizations: Other organizations
include: UNEP, the European Community, and OECD. Countries with experience
in this area include: Canada, Denmark, Netherlands, the United Kingdom,
and the USA. Industry associations would also be able to contribute to the
development of this indicator.
7. Further Information
Bakkes, J.A. et al. An Overview of Environmental
Indicators: State of the Art and Perspectives. Environment Assessment
Technical Reports. Netherlands National Institute of Public Health and
Environmental Protection in cooperation with the University of Cambridge,
United Kingdom. June 1994.
Reporting and Transmission of Information under the
Basel Convention (UNEP/CHW.3/Inf.6), Section on Waste Generation, Tables 5
and 6.
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