Hazardous waste management — The way forward

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to provide a focus for discussion on future developments in hazardous waste management. From an examination of present practice and trends in various countries, particularly in Western Europe, North America and Japan, six major directions for the next 5–10 years have been highlighted, together with a number of consequent challenges. The various directions may be summarized:

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  o less emphasis on drawing up legislation with more on making it work in practice (A major challenge is how to encourage compliance, so that regulations can be enforced);

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  o a general move away from both land and sea disposal. Challenges include the provision of adequate treatment and disposal capacity for hazardous wastes, ensuring that it is used and developing new treatment methods for the future;

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  o increased emphasis on preventing waste, on producing wastes that are less hazardous and on recycling;

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  o a continuation of the current trend to focus more attention on the long-term care of waste disposal facilities;

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  o increased public awareness of, and hostility to, hazardous wastes; and

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  o the gradual extension of controls over hazardous wastes to other industrialised countries and to the newly industrialising countries in the developing world.