International agreements and

initiatives on transboundary
movement of industrial waste

Mentor: Dr. Anubha Goel

Group 7:
Shivam Agarwal (190804)
Advait Vashi (200058)
Hazardous Waste?
Hazardous waste refers to any waste material
that poses a potential risk to human health or the
environment due to its toxic, flammable,
corrosive, reactive, or infectious nature. These
wastes can come from industrial, commercial, or
household sources and can include chemicals,
pesticides, batteries, electronic devices, medical
waste, and more.

Sources ?

1. Industries (Chemical, Pharmaceutical)

2. HealthCare facilities
3. E-waste
4. Mining activities
5. Municipal Solid Waste
How are they classified?
Ignitability
Waste materials that are easily
ignitable, such as gasoline, solvents,
and aerosol cans
Reactivity
Waste materials that can cause
explosions, release toxic gases, or
undergo violent chemical reactions
when mixed with other substances
or exposed to certain conditions,
such as oxidizers, cyanides, and
explosives.
Corrosivity
Waste materials that are highly
acidic or alkaline, such as battery
acid, rust removers, and drain
cleaners
Toxicity
Waste materials that contain
harmful chemicals or substances
that can cause acute or chronic
health effects, such as pesticides,
heavy metals, and asbestos
 Some numbers
35,000,000,000
Hazardous waste produced by USA every year (in Kg)

25,000,000,000
Hazardous waste produced by CHINA every year (in Kg)

12,350,000,000
Hazardous waste produced by INDIA every year (in Kg)

Source : Link
Categories of hazardous waste produced by INDIA

46.46% 22.9%
Utilizable Recyclable
5.74 Million MT 2.83 Million MT

24.72% 5.92%
Landfillable Incinerable
3.05 Million MT 0.73 Million MT

★ Total hazardous waste produced by INDIA during 2021-22 is 12.35 Million MT,
while it was 9.24 Million MT during 2020-21
★ During 2021-22, about 3,27,742 MT of hazardous waste has been imported in
the country and about 982 MT of hazardous waste exported
Source : Link
Hazardous waste management

2. Detoxification and
1. Waste Minimization neutralization of waste by
➔ Assists with resource
treatments
conservation, economic ➔ Physical treatment : Sedimentation,
productivity, and adsorption, screening, centrifugation.
environmental protection. ➔ Chemical treatment : Precipitation, Oxidation
➔ Methods include source (cyanide molecule), Reduction (conversion of
reduction, recycling and Cr6+ to Cr3+) and Neutralization (excess amount
waste exchange of acid or alkali).
➔ Biological treatment : microorganisms are
used to degrade certain compounds.
 Hazardous waste management
3. Destruction of
combustible waste by
incineration
➔ Removes hazardous
waste with 99.99%
efficiency.
➔ SO2, CO2, H2O are primary
products
➔ 2 types of incinerators
(liquid injection system
and rotary kilns)
5. Disposal of residues in
4. Solidification of sludge landfills
and ash from steps 2 & 3
➔ Convert the waste into an ➔ Land disposal,
insoluble, rock hard underground disposal &
material. deep well injection.
➔ Additive materials ➔ Factors that need to be
reduces the mobility of considered are economics
pollutants. and pollution it cause.
➔ Residues that are left out
are solidified to reduce
leachability
International Protocols for Hazardous
Waste
1. The Basel Convention
● The Basel Convention is an international treaty aimed at controlling the transboundary
movements and disposal of hazardous wastes.

● It was adopted in 1989 and has been ratified by 187 countries.

● By regulating the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes, the Basel Convention

ensures that hazardous wastes are treated and disposed of in an environmentally sound
manner.

● Basel Convention also promotes the reduction of hazardous waste generation at source and
the minimization of hazard through the development of cleaner production technologies
International Protocols for Hazardous
Waste
2. OECD Council Decision
● The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international
organisation that works to build better policies for better lives. It aims to prevent the migration of
hazardous wastes from developed to developing countries by providing guidelines for the
environmentally sensible management of hazardous wastes.

● The document consists of rules/guidelines for any waste moving across countries via any
transportation route.

● They released a document with policies related to the transboundary movements of recoverable
wastes. (https://www.oecd.org/env/waste/guidance-manual-control-transboundary-movements-recoverable-wastes.pdf)
● About 47 countries follow the decision, india being one of them.
International Protocols for Hazardous
Waste
3. Bilateral Agreements
● There are several Bilateral Agreements on this across the world, some important ones are
mentioned below.

● USA has agreements with Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Malaysia and Philippines.

● The agreements state what the rules and regulations are related to the same and how
policies such as insurance and damage repair would work in case of an accident and the
people who will be liable.
● Some of the countries with which India has bilateral agreements include the United States,
Canada, Germany, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Hazardous Waste Issues in India

● Lack of proper management and disposal: This results in hazardous waste being
dumped or released into the environment which poses a great risk to human health and the
environment.

● Inadequate enforcement of regulations: Although rules exist in India, most of them are
not implemented well, and this results in mismanagement of waste.

● Illegal dumping and unauthorized waste trade: Hazardous waste may be dumped
illegally in open spaces, rivers, or other areas, posing risks to human health and the environment.

● Transboundary Issues: Hazardous waste from other countries are illegally dumped or
disposed of in India, posing transboundary issues.
Current Solution to the Issues
● Strengthening Regulatory Framework: The laws and their implementation have been
strengthened over the years to avoid dumping of waste at places that would affect health.

● Infrastructure Development: A lot of new infrastructure has been developed by the

government to facilitate proper disposal of some types of hazardous waste.

● International Cooperation: India is actively engaged in international cooperation and

collaboration to address hazardous waste issues. This includes participation in global initiatives
and agreements, such as the Basel Convention, which aims to regulate the transboundary
movement of hazardous waste, and bilateral or regional collaborations with other countries to
address issues related to transboundary waste trade and illegal dumping.
Suggestions from our end
● Develop negative public sentiment around it, which may help in minimization and
detection of production and management of waste.

● Determine the source of hazardous waste and its effects on the environment and
public health.

● Explain the regulations and laws related to the management of hazardous waste in
your country, including the Basel Convention, E-waste Management Rules, and Bio-
medical Waste Management Rules.

● Describe the various hazardous waste treatment technologies, such as incineration,

chemical treatment, and bioremediation.
Not following norms?
The Sterlite Copper plant (copper smelting) in Tamil Nadu was closed in
2018 after they receive the order from TNPCB, following protests by local
residents who complained about pollution from the plant. The plant was
reportedly operating without a valid environmental approval and
discharging hazardous waste, including heavy metals such as arsenic,
cadmium, and lead, into the environment.

Previously, the TNPCB had fined the facility for violating pollution control
regulations and issued multiple notices and orders to improve its
environmental performance. However, the facility failed to meet the
requirements and was ordered irrevocably shut down. The incident
highlighted the need for strict enforcement of environmental regulations.
Resources
https://www.epa.gov/hwgenerators/international-agreements-transboundary-shipments-hazardous-wast
e

https://www.unep.org/resources/report/basel-convention-control-transboundary-movements-hazardous-
wastes#:~:text=The%20Basel%20Convention%20regulates%20the,flammable%2C%20ecotoxic%20and%20
infectious%20wastes
.

https://www.oecd.org/env/waste/guidance-manual-control-transboundary-movements-recoverable-
wastes.pdf
Individual Contribution
● Hazardous Waste?
● Sources
● Classification
Shivam Agarwal ● Some numbers
● Categories of waste produced by INDIA
● Sterlite Copper plant
● Hazardous Waste Management
● International Stance on Transboundary Movement of hazardous
waste
● International Laws and guidelines
Advait Vashi ● Hazardous Waste issues in India
● What are some currently implemented solutions to the Issues
● What are some steps we should focus on to achieve less human
and hazardous waste interaction
Thanks!