Hazardous and Other Waste (Management & Trans-boundary Movement) Rules, 2016

Hazardous and Other Waste (Management & Trans-boundary Movement) Rules, 2016 were notified to ensure environmentally sound management of hazardous wastes.

Salient Features

  • The ambit of the earlier notification (Hazardous Wastes (Management, Handling and Trans-boundary Movement) Rules, 2008 has been expanded by including ‘Other-Waste’; authorization and registration requirement is replaced with one permission i.e., authorization under the rules for all stakeholders handling the hazardous and other waste; waste management hierarchy in the sequence of priority as prevention, minimization, reuse, recycling, recovery, co-processing; and safe disposal being incorporated;
  • The process of import/export of waste under the rules has been streamlined by simplifying the procedure and by revising the list of waste regulated for import/ export; separate schedule has been introduced which comprises waste such as metal scrap, paper waste and various categories of electrical and electronic equipments for re-use purpose exempted from the need of obtaining Ministry’s permission;
  • The list of waste prohibited for import has been revised by inclusion of following items–

Basel Convention on Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Waste and its Disposal

  • The Basel Convention on the Control of Trans-boundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal was adopted in 1989 in Basel, Switzerland.
  • The overarching objective of the Basel Convention is to protect human health and the environment against the adverse effects of hazardous wastes. Its scope of application covers a wide range of wastes defined as “hazardous wastes” based on their origin and/or composition and their characteristics, as well as two types of wastes defined as “other wastes” (household waste and incinerator ash).
    • Waste edible fats and oils of animals or vegetable origin,
    • Household waste,
    • Critical care medical equipment,
    • Solid plastic wastes, and
    • Other chemical wastes especially in solvent form.
  • The rules have an important provision on regulation of import/export of hazardous waste in pursuance to our obligation under the Basel Convention on Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal.

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