UNITED
NATIONS
UNEP(DTIE)/GPWM/BC.1/INF/9
Global Partnership
on Waste Management
Distr.: General
12 October 2012
English only
Biennium Conference of the Global
Partnership on Waste Management
Osaka, Japan, 5 and 6 November 2012
Background paper on guidelines for the development, review and
updating of national waste management strategies
I.
Introduction
1.
With rapidly increasing population, urbanization, industrialization and economic
growth in developing and transition economy countries, waste management is becoming one of
the most significant planning challenges faced by these countries in the 21st century. The rapid
increase in volumes, complexity and hazardousness of the waste is accentuating the difficulties
that governments are already facing, at the national as well as at the local level. Waste related
problems are often handled in countries in a fragmented and uncoordinated manner, mainly
focusing on end of pipe solutions rather than on prevention measures and integrated approaches,
and clear targets and consistent national approaches are often lacking, too vague or out of date.
II.
Background
2.
Developing countries recognize the potential of waste being used as a resource. They
acknowledge the need for a change regarding the approach on waste management, from the less
preferred treatment and disposal options towards resource efficiency and the “3R” concept
focused on reduction, reuse and recycling. In developing countries the waste management
hierarchy, where emphasis is put on the prevention and minimization of waste, and on the reuse
and recycling as preferred to recovery methods or final disposal, is broadly accepted. Awareness
also exists regarding the use of treatment options that deliver optimal environmental outcomes;
however changes towards greening the waste sector and considering waste materials as resources
would require the support of an overarching plan that sets the direction for waste management in
each country and encourages the desired change.
3.
Many developing countries have, or are in the process of developing or reviewing
their national plans; however, even though there are good examples, it is frequently observed
that the plans lack an approach that goes beyond waste treatment options, policy measures and
institutional arrangements. Waste management is a cross-cutting “mega-issue” impacting on all
three pillars of sustainable development: economic, environmental and social; and as such all
pillars should be evaluated when developing the waste management strategy to follow.
4.
Conservative approaches leave aside this broader analysis on the linkages between an
adequate waste management and the impacts on the economic, environmental and social aspects.
Consequently, the potential economic growth, job creation, cost recovery from waste
management or avoidance of negative externalities (environmental and health impacts) and the
cost associated with them are often ignored when national waste management strategies are
developed and the options for management systems are selected.
5.
Therefore, ensuring effective sustainable waste management practices across a
country requires an integrated national waste management strategy (NWMS) which:
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UNEP(DTIE)/GPWM/BC.1/INF/9
a)
takes into account all the factors that i) will drastically influence the waste generation
in the future (e.g. development priorities of the countries); ii) will be key in the decision making
of the approach to take (e.g. comparative analysis of the contribution of specific scenarios to the
economic performance or job creation within a country) and iii) will condition the success of the
plan’s implementation (e.g. identification of the financing mechanisms that will enable such
implementation);
III.
b)
identifies the stakeholders, needs, and priorities;
c)
sets out an agreed approach to follow for each major waste stream;
d)
indicates the necessary key policy and regulatory tools, and
e)
establishes priorities and a plan for its implementation.
Project objectives
6.
As a recognition of the need for national strategies that are realistic and enable
effective sustainable waste management initiatives to be implemented across a country, UNEP
IETC in joint collaboration with UNITAR is currently implementing a project on the preparation
of guidelines for the development, review and updating of national waste management strategies,
aiming to assist developing countries, and countries with economies in transition, in developing
such integrated national strategies which will guide and set the basis for the change in waste
management approach or revising their strategies to cover an ample range of issues that are in
direct relation and affected by waste management.
7.
The project, hereafter referred to as Phase I, is aimed to be extended into two
additional phases subject to the availability of funding.
IV.
Activities
8.
The activities being carried in out under the project are as follows:
9.
Phase I (ongoing): Produce guidelines for the development of national waste
management strategies:
a)
The guidelines refer to a strategic planning level document covering the main streams
of waste that are common to developing countries, such as municipal (domestic and
commercial), industrial and hazardous waste (including healthcare waste). They aim for the
integrated management of the different waste streams along the whole waste management
chain (prevention, generation, collection, transportation, treatment and final disposal) with
an approach from an economic, technical, social and environmental perspective but
emphasizing on the prevention, reuse, recycling and recovery of the waste; and it guarantees
that green economy objectives and the vision towards a circular economy is reflected. The
guidelines attend to waste management planning requirements from the perspective of
protecting the environment and human health from harmful substances, as well as from the
perspective of resource efficiency, taking into account the “3R” approach (reduce, reuse,
recycle).
b)
The guidelines lay out a planning methodology, provide for the engagement of a full
range of stakeholders, make appropriate linkages with broader social and economic
considerations and direct the users to more in-depth guidance on technology selection,
international legal frameworks, economic analysis and other topics such as institutional
arrangements, financing mechanisms and national waste policies and regulatory measures.
It also encourages the strategies to be developed in accordance with the development
priorities of the countries and their approach to other issues (e.g. contribution to the national
GHG emissions reduction agenda).
c)
The guidelines are being designed as an overarching document with reference to
other detailed guidelines on specific issues such as technologies or governance.
10.
The activities undertaken in Phase II and Phase III of the project will be subject to
availability of funding and might be modified according to the findings from Phase I. The
proposed activities are:
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UNEP(DTIE)/GPWM/BC.1/INF/9
11.
Phase II
a)
Pilot testing of the peer reviewed draft guidelines. This will be undertaken in a
limited number of countries in order to prove the validity of the guidelines in the field.
Lessons learned in the pilot testing will be included in the final version of the guidelines.
b)
Development of additional products. In order to complement the basic guidelines,
additional products such as a) a published collection of case study reports; and b) on-line
training modules will be developed, to support the use of the guidelines and to ensure wider
outreach is assured.
12.
Phase III
a)
Develop national waste management strategies in a larger number of countries, as
part of a larger-scale and longer-term programme and according to the findings and needs
of the countries.
V.
Added value of the product
13.
The guidelines for national waste management strategies will bring together the
experience and lessons learnt of countries which have already strategies in place. These
guidelines are intended to be used by countries as a reference material for issues to be addressed
when developing their strategies, and for the identification of implementation tools which need
to be developed, and the kind of consultations to carry out. The integration perspective of the
guidelines will ensure that the national strategies will be comprehensive, realistic and effective,
while they will at the same time have enough flexibility to avoid a “one size fits all” approach.
14.
Such guidance is expected to be complementary to the forthcoming update of the
Training Resource Pack on Hazardous Waste Management in Developing Economies
(coordinated by the International Solid Waste Association - ISWA) and will take into account
current work under the Basel Convention to develop a “framework” for the environmentally
sound management of hazardous wastes and other wastes. They will relate to previous specific
guidelines produced by the Basel Convention and others.
15.
Additionally, the use of this guideline can be used as a tool to support the
implementation of relevant activities defined under the global plan of action (GPA) of the
Strategic Approach on International Chemicals Management (SAICM) such as activities 69 and
258.1
16.
The guidelines will complement the work of the Regional 3R Forum in Asia which
facilitates high level policy dialogues on 3R issues, challenges and opportunities, and provides a
strategic and knowledge platform for sharing experiences and disseminating best practices, tools,
technologies and policy instruments on various aspects of the 3Rs.
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"69. Establish and implement national action plans with respect to waste minimization and waste disposal, taking into
consideration relevant international agreements and by using the cradle-to-cradle and cradle-to-grave approaches." and
"258. Implement capacity building programmes on waste minimization and increased resource efficiency, including zero
waste resource management, waste prevention, substitution and toxic use reduction, to reduce the volume and toxicity of
discarded materials."
3