We are deeply convinced that only a model built on non-toxic materials cycles can and will ensure a safe and sustainable circular economy. To reach this ultimate goal, we are committed to strive that substances or materials streams contaminated with toxic substances are appropriately decontaminated before being reincorporated into the recycling chain. Our objective is that legal provisions on circular economy that flourish in member states acknowledge this significant necessity: prior to recycling, unwanted hazardous components or pollutants contained in both non-hazardous and hazardous waste should be extracted and treated in compliance with the waste and chemical laws to ensure that toxic substances would not be again and again reincorporated in materials that aim to become products of day to day life. Only by controlling that we will protect health and the environment and pave the way towards the achievement of sustainable consumption and production patterns (Goal 12). By promoting high quality recycling we will work to sustainably guarantee « the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle » and achieve healthy lives and promote well-being (Goal 3). The technical solutions already exist and are effective. We miss the political signal that would set decontamination in the legislation. We should hit hard, we must hit now and we could not dream more symbolic than having the solution
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A few months ago, willing to support the provisions of the waste framework directive dealing with hazardous waste management, the EU Commission requested the consultant BIPRO to assess the hazardous waste management situation in 14 Member States, with a special focus on PCB. After months of work and several workshops in respective Member States, the final workshop that took place in Brussels on Monday October 23rd presented the outcome of the analysis. The final study should be released at the end of the year and will be the subject of a report by the Commission by April 2018. The first outcomes underline the important gaps regarding traceability, proper classification and safe transport and stress the importance to have reliable data to ensure good planning and safe treatment. Sarah Nelen, Head of the unit Waste Management & Secondary Materials at the European Commission, rightly pointed out that it was not just about regulation but implementation and that the issue should be move up on the political agenda. HWE brought its expertise to the study since the beginning and in a presentation co-signed with EURITS – European Union for Responsible Incineration and Treatment of Special waste, HWE gave some food for thoughts to answer the following question: Do the existing infrastructures match with the need of infrastructures based on the industrial production
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A few weeks after the entry into force of the (16 August 2017), the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP1) took place from 24 to 29 September 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland. The Convention, whose Secretariat is now officially based in Geneva, aims at “protecting the human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compound”. Mercury, which is still commonly used in various fields, is recognized as a substance producing significant adverse effects, making it essential to be adequately treated and disposed of in a sustainable manner. HWE, whose members brought their expertise to the work of the Convention, pays tribute to the entry in to force of the Convention and attended this important event. For HWE, the Convention shall ensure: the phase out of the use of mercury with a pragmatic but safe framework for the few remaining allowed uses, the ultimate goal is the stabilization of mercury considered as a waste through high tech process that will ensure a safe permanent storage, the full traceability of mercury waste from the producer to the final destination, clear definitions of what is a “waste contaminated by mercury”, “waste containing mercury”, or “mercury compounds”, where specific requirements due to this contamination shall apply the very strict monitoring of mercury emissions to air from the relevant sources (coal
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On 26th September, a numerous number of stakeholders among them representatives of industries, European federations, civil society, national public authorities and EU institutions gathered for the conference “Reinventing plastics – Closing the circle” in view of the forthcoming plastic strategy. Nicolas HUMEZ, as chairman of HWE, delivered a targeted presentation – that you can find in the panelist cession dealing with “Interface between product, waste and chemical policy: how to balance phasing out legacy substances with higher recycling rates?” It was the opportunity to highlight the key necessity to promote high quality recycling -and to use the words of First Vice President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans “not only because it is the right thing to do for the environment, but because it is the smart thing to do for the economy”- in discussions that often focus merely on quantitative targets. HWE puts the emphasis on the absolute necessity to couple high quality recycling rates with quality criteria. Waste producers and operators should avoid operations that circumvent the rules by using declassification and dilution so as to reach recycling targets more easily, and which unfortunately considerably contaminate the quality of recyclates with substances of concerns and endanger at the same time health and the environment. It implies notably to make a clear distinction between waste –
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