Chapter 1.2 General Policy Context

Chapter 1.2 General policy context

Notes on this chapter

This chapter examines the broad context within which hazardous waste management must fit, and looks at the need for behavioural change as well as the drivers for change.

Environmental concerns are enjoying an unprecedented importance in world affairs at present, with issues like climate change, biodiversity and chemical contamination being widely discussed. The chapter particularly addresses Sustainable Development, a term - and an approach - which is increasingly evident in policy-setting arenas around the world. The concept followed the World Commission on Environment & Development’s 1987 Brundtland Report (named after Gro Harlem Brundtland, its chairwoman), and the United Nations Conference on Environment & Development in Rio in 1992 took it forward.

The overheads in this chapter highlight some of the issues, but are not exhaustive. Setting the management of hazardous waste in the wider context is an important aim of this training manual.

List of slides

Title slide Slide 2 Context of hazardous waste management Slide 3 Sustainable Development Slide 4 Key terms Slide 5 Integration Slide 6 Efficient use of resources Slide 7 Establishing priorities Slide 8 Policy framework Slide 9 Evolution of hazardous waste management Slide 10 Waste as a Sustainable Development priority Slide 11 Key actors in waste management Slide 12 Prevention of hazardous waste Slide 13 Treatment and disposal of hazardous waste Slide 14 Life cycle management Slide 15 Waste technology Slide 16 The importance of the social factor Slide 17 Case study: lead batteries Slide 18 The future Slide 19 Summary

Background notes

1 The focus on hazardous waste is relatively recent, with developed countries becoming aware of the issues only as they tightened their broad environmental legislation in the 1970s and 1980s.

TRP Chapter 1.2 1 2 A wide range of environmental regulations and initiatives is now in place worldwide. Only a few of these specifically address hazardous wastes, but many have important implications for its management.

3 While environmental and waste regulations differ between countries, a number of supra-national agreements have now been proposed or reached, and there is a trend for more conformity of legislation between nations.

4 International organisations such as UNEP and OECD are increasingly involved in issues relating to hazardous waste management, and are providing support for countries whose environmental controls still need to be developed. This is facilitating information exchange and technology transfer.

5 The Basel Convention is one example of an international agreement which has had a major influence on hazardous wastes practices through its implementation in national laws of parties to the convention.

6 In the past, environmental concerns were considered to be separate from business and economic issues, and also from development and social conditions. Sustainable Development aims to advance economic, social and environmental conditions in concert, in an integrated manner.

7 In part as a result of this movement, there is a trend for ‘prevention’ policies in preference to policies which address problems once they have arisen. This trend has particular relevance to hazardous waste policies.

8 Waste recycling has become a standard component of waste management policies worldwide, and requirements for producers to take responsibility for their products at the end of their useful life are also becoming widespread.

Sources of further information

Agenda 21 available at www.un.org/esa/sustdev/csd

Jackson, Tim (1993) Clean Production strategies: developing preventative environmental management in the industrial economy Lewis Publishers ISBN 0-87371- 884-4

Schmidheiny, S (1992) Changing course: a global business perspective on development and the environment MIT Press ISBN 02-621-9318-3

UNEP Global Environmental Outlook, United Nations Environment Programme www.unep.org

TRP Chapter 1.2 2 von Weizsäcker, E; Lovins, A & Lovins, L H (1997) Factor Four- doubling wealth, halving resource use, Earthscan ISBN 1-85383-407-6

Web sites

United Nations Environment Programme, Division of Technology, Industry and Economics www.uneptie.org

International Solid Waste Association www.ISWA.org

The Basel Convention www.basel.int

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