Hazardous Waste

Unique identifier / Notation

TL0038

Synonyms

Not identified.

Hazardous waste is waste that has physical, chemical, or biological characteristics such that it requires special handling and disposal procedures to avoid negative health effects, adverse environmental effects or both (Joint UNEP/OCHA Environment Unit, 2011).

Primary reference(s)

Joint UNEP/OCHA Environment Unit, 2011. Disaster Waste Management Guidelines. Annex X: Terminology. Joint United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) / United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Environment Unit. Accessed 8 November 2019.

Additional scientific description

Typical characteristics of hazardous waste include oxidising, explosive, flammable, irritant, corrosive, toxic, ecotoxic, carcinogenic, infectious, and toxic for reproduction and/or mutagenic properties. Toxic wastes may produce toxic gases when in contact with water, air or acid which can result in the generation of additional hazardous substances following disposal. The term ‘hazardous’ relates to the situation and circumstances as well as to the properties of waste materials (Joint UNEP/OCHA Environment Unit, 2011).

Metrics and numeric limits

The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal (1989) has extensive definitions to inform metrics in its annexes, among others: a description of categories of waste requiring control (Annex I); hazardous characteristics (Annex III); the extensive list of wastes characterised as hazardous under the Convention (Annex VIII); other Wastes (Annex II); and wastes presumed to be non-hazardous (Annex IX) (UN Treaty Collection, 2019).

Basel Convention codes are necessary for any transboundary movements of hazardous and other wastes in the scope of the Convention, movements which require a prior consent procedure from all states involved. For more information, it is necessary to contact the Basel Convention Competent authority of the states concerned with the movement. A list of Basel Convention Competent authorities is available on the Basel Convention website (European Commission, 2020). Other codes are applicable to hazardous wastes, in Harmonized System codes issued by the World Customs Organisation, ADR codes for road transport, IMDG codes for maritime transport and ICAO/IATA codes for air transport, GHS codes and UN numbers (World Customs Organisation, no date).

Key relevant UN convention / multilateral treaty

Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal (1989). At the time of writing, there were 187 parties to the Basel Convention (UN Treaty Collection, 2019).

International Conventions related to Harmonised System, Accord relatif au transport international des marchandises Dangereuses par Route (ADR), International Maritime Dangerous Goods, International Civil Aviation Organisation/International Air Transport Association and Globally Harmonised Systems codes.

Examples of drivers, outcomes and risk management

Hazardous waste is waste that owing to its properties poses an actual or potential hazard to the health of humans, other living organisms, or the environment (United Nations, 2016).

According to Agenda 21, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, adopted by more than 178 governments at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 3-14 June 1992, it was recognised that to address effective control of the generation, storage, treatment, recycling and reuse, transport, recovery and disposal of hazardous wastes is “of paramount importance for proper health, environmental protection and natural resource management, and sustainable development” (United Nations, 1992: Chapter 20).