Current practices in hazardous waste management in Turkey

Abstract

As a consequence of restrictive national and international regulations; in recent years, efforts for a better management of hazardous wastes in Turkey have increased considerably. In this article, an overview of the current hazardous waste management practices in Turkey is provided. Initial efforts that have started with ratification of Basel Convention in 1994 are followed by substantial progress owing to alignment with the European Union's waste management acquis in early 2000's. Overview of the legislative framework indicates that currently, the rules laid down in legal documents are sufficient to establish an effective hazardous waste management system. However, the implementation and enforcement of the legislation is not complete yet as the implementation requires the considerable improvement of the current infrastructure. The quality of hazardous waste generation data, which is essential for proper design of hazardous waste management system, in Turkey is still of concern therefore, needs further at...