16/01/2023
This review addresses the EU’s actions for tackling
hazardous waste. Hazardous waste can harm human
health and the environment. EU initiatives have
focused on its prevention, but hazardous waste has
continued to increase since 2004. Its safe treatment
is hampered by difficulties, e.g. reliably tracing
hazardous waste. Still over 50 % of the EU’s
hazardous waste is disposed of. Recycling is
constrained by technical difficulties and the lack
of market opportunities for the recycled output.
Moreover, illegal trafficking remains a lucrative
business. Future challenges lie in dealing with
the increasing amount of hazardous waste,
improving its classification, ensuring traceability
from generation to final treatment, limiting its
disposal through more recycling, and addressing its
illegal trafficking.
Review 02/2023: EU actions to address the increasing amount of hazardous waste
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