Introduction
This 1st Module of the Guidelines for the Management of Hazardous Waste focusses on the identification of hazardous waste, and proposes a system for record-keeping of hazardous waste management. The purpose of this module is to develop consistent language in hazardous waste identification, and to apply this consistent language to a standardised record-keeping system.
The information gathered during record-keeping will be useful for the following reasons:
- Hazardous waste generators and transporters will be able to provide evidence that hazardous wastes are transported, treated, and disposed at recognised facilities
- Treatment and disposal facilities will benefit by knowing the source of hazardous wastes entering their site, and can adjust their treatment processes accordingly
- Generators and operators of treatment and disposal facilities can use the record-keeping information to develop waste minimisation initiatives for hazardous waste
- Local Government will be able to request information from handlers of hazardous waste in order to monitor risks to human health and the environment
- Central Government will have access to national statistics on hazardous waste generation and management to help guide policy decisions
At this stage, the information gathered during record-keeping will not be fed into a central database. However, councils can ask in confidence for access to the information from hazardous waste handlers. As record-keeping becomes a more commonplace and accepted practice, centralised systems for collecting information and generating summary statistics will be developed by central and local government.
