Notes on this chapter
This chapter reviews some of the fundamental policy elements that are necessary to guide waste management activities in a consistent direction. Without such policies, many of the individual actions by generators, transporters and disposal operators, as well as by the government sector, could be incompatible.
The material presented here also looks at some of the broad operational approaches
(strategies) that guide the field actions of the individual players.
While immediate action can often resolve some urgent situations, it can also push the problem elsewhere, or obscure more fundamental causes of the problem. At some point countries and companies need to take a strategic view of the situation and plan the most cost-effective and appropriate response. This chapter focuses on developing a national policy and national/regional strategy for hazardous waste management, but some short term actions are also important, so the chapter ends by exploring how to take the necessary first steps.
This chapter is drawn in part from previous UNEP and other documents that describe the policy approaches in countries around the world. Policy issues may seem very abstract to trainees (and to many industry managers) but it is important for trainers to discuss the application and use of policies while stressing that the time taken in their development must not become an excuse to take no other actions. It is useful to introduce trainees to some real examples and questions to illustrate how policies and strategies help to decide important operational questions.
Overheads in this chapter cover some of the major aspects of policies and strategies, but cannot cover all situations. The trainer is encouraged to make use of the references shown at the end of the introductory text.
Policy questions in particular lend themselves more to group discussions, debates or panel sessions with invited speakers than to individual study or to lecture presentations.
Trainers are encouraged to discuss the material in this chapter with their students in greater depth, drawing also on experts with practical experience. Further options for training exercises can be found in some of the UNEP manuals, for example.
List of slides
Title slide
Slide 2 Strategic policy and planning hierarchy
Slide 3 Vital components
Slide 4 Waste Hierarchy
Slide 5 Waste management evolution 1
Slide 6 Policies and instruments to promote compliance
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Slide 7 Elements for control
Slide 8 Elements of legislation
Slide 9 Hazardous waste in a wider context
Slide 10 Enforcement
Slide 11 Support services
Slide 12 An integrated approach to hazardous waste management
Slide 13 Developing a regional plan for hazardous waste management
Slide 14 Experience in developing a hazardous waste management system
Slide 15 Common elements in successful implementation
Slide 16 Waste management evolution 2
Slide 17 Common constraints and difficulties in implementation
Slide 18 Some guiding principles
Slide 19 Useful first steps
Slide 20 Summary
Background notes
Why policies and strategies?
1 The risks from the uncontrolled dumping of hazardous wastes have resulted in an international focus of attention on hazardous wastes, in part to prevent illicit export of wastes to countries where standards are lower. Until recently, hazardous wastes have not been high on the political agenda in developing economies.
2 The introduction of long term strategies to improve hazardous waste management, and the implementation of policies to achieve them, is an important early stage in addressing the associated environmental and health problems. At the same time, some short term measures will also be necessary. These must be locally appropriate but should be identified with reference to the experiences of countries with established hazardous waste management systems in place.
3 Why do we need a policy framework? Without it, uncontrolled disposal is inevitable, as there are so many different dimensions to the waste problem, so many management options and so many different actors involved. An ad hoc approach would soon produce inconsistencies.
4 A hazardous waste management system requires a mixture of approaches. It must also be tailored to circumstances: there is no single ‘right way’.
5 While science plays a large part in determining rational waste management decisions, there are also many options that are determined by personal or group preferences.
Choosing among equally efficient treatment options on the basis of how they may impact on local communities is one example, and allocating responsibility for seeing that correct procedures are followed another. The choice of regulatory instruments is also a policy choice.
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6 Defining the most effective option also has a cultural and economic component.
Strategies are devised to bring into play the ‘preferred’ way of resolving waste problems, based on what is acceptable as well as what is efficient.
7 Policies may be determined by persons in positions of authority, or through a consultation mechanism. Similarly, for effective implementation it is desirable to have a general commitment by those affected that the approach is correct, and so consultation may also be used to define management strategies.
How do policies work?
8 The policy framework involves a number of components, encompassing legal, institutional, social, financial and technical aspects. These need to be progressed in parallel.
9 Policies and strategies affect the managers of waste operations and the regulators, as well as other players. It is common to see policies at different levels - for example the
Government may have an overall policy approach to cover industry as a whole but the chemical industry, as a major waste producer, may adopt its own policy to guide its members.
10 Allocation of responsibilities – who should do what – is a major aspect of policies.
Increasingly the prime responsibility is being allocated to the waste producer, either industry or other generators. However, responsibility for disposal is also important. This may again be the generator; it may be a contractor working on behalf of the generator; or, as in some countries, the government may accept this responsibility and require all generators to deliver their waste to government facilities.
11 To be effective, policies need effective links between components, and partnership or co-operation between players.
Who applies policies?
12 In most cases the authorities initiate a policy approach which provides the framework for individual operators. However, as has been described above, sectoral policies by industry or by companies also exist.
Prevention policies
13 Although it is an easily understood principle, waste prevention is one of the most difficult policy areas to apply consistently and effectively. Introducing Cleaner
Production policies depends on a good knowledge of production processes and waste sources, and of the constraints in changing wasteful human behaviour (including industrial behaviour). (See Chapter 4.1 Cleaner Production)
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14 Extensive programmes on waste reduction are now often a prominent feature of policies and strategies. (See Chapter 4.2 Waste minimisation)
Sources of further information
Batstone, R; Smith, JE & Wilson, DC editors (1989) The safe disposal of hazardous wastes: The special needs and problems of developing countries World Bank,
Washington, Technical paper No 93 in 3 volumes ISBN 0-8213-1144-1 (available as pdf files from www.worldbank.org/publications/)
ISWA (1999) International perspectives in hazardous waste management, ISWA
Working Group on Hazardous Waste ISBN 87-90402-08-1
ISWA (2000) National Hazardous Waste Management Profiles from ISWA member countries , ISWA Working Group on Hazardous Waste ISBN 87-90402-13-8
Schubeler, P et al (1996) Conceptual framework for Municipal Solid Waste Management in Low Income Countries World Bank Urban Management Programme Working Paper
No 9 (available as pdf file from www.worldbank.org/publications/)
UNEP (1991) Hazardous waste policies and strategies – a training manual, Technical report No 10 UNEP Industry & Environment Programme Activity Centre &
Environmental Education & Training Unit, Paris ISBN 92-807-1311-6
Wilson, DC; Whiteman, AD & Tormin AC (2001) Strategic Planning Guide for
Municipal Solid Waste Management, prepared by ERM for World Bank Collaborative
Working Group on Municipal Solid Waste Management in Middle- and Low-income
Countries. Available on CD from infoshop@worldbank.org
Handouts
1. Strategy for hazardous waste management by EPA, Victoria, Australia, 1985
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