International Review of Waste Management Policy - Department of ...

epresentations in relation to this consultation paper were invited up to 28th of July
2008. The European Union completed and published an Implementation Plan in
2007. 1096
58.1 Recommendations
Evidently, there is a need to progress the National Implementation Plan with some
urgency. This plan will, presumably, have to consider the best approach to the
Conventions in the light of their requirements.
It is useful to define the main sources that give rise to POPs in the environment in
order to consider where measures can be taken to reduce their generation or
emission to the environment:
865
A) Pesticides (e.g. DDT);
B) Industrial chemicals (e.g. polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs));
C) Unintentional by-products (e.g. dioxins, furans).
In relation to POPs arising from Source A), although regulation on the production and
use of pesticides is clearly a valuable measure (and the EPA is naturally the
appropriate responsible authority to administer this), this may be considered outside
the scope of this review of waste policy.
The requirements of the UNECE / Stockholm Conventions imply, in relation to Source
B), regulation on the use of industrial chemicals which utilise or have potential to give
rise to POPs. In this regard, many of the policy measures explored in other sections of
this annex have significant relevance. The obligation for producer responsibility,
minimum recycling standards, and levies and bans on specific substances are
measures which can reduce or eliminate the risk of environmental accumulation of
POPs.
In relation to Source C), there is clear benefit to be derived from minimising the
generation and dispersion of POPs as unintended by-products of waste treatment
processes. Two potentially complimentary policy developments present themselves
here:
1. To ensure that any technologies used for the treatment of waste which may
give rise to POPs operate to high environmental standards; and
2. In the light of the possible alternatives available, to seek to reduce the
quantity of material that passes to technologies that might give rise to
additional emissions of POPs in order to reduce their generation and
dispersal.
In relation to the first point, some more detailed policy assessment has been carried
out for the DoEHLG. The proposed Section 60 policy direction seeks to achieve a
1096 Commision of the European Communities (2007) Community Implementation Plan for the
Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants Commision Staff Working Document
SEC(2007) 341, 9.3.2007.
International Review of Waste Policy: Annexes