Treatment and disposal of hazardous wastes in Western Europe

Abstract

In western Europe, as in other industrialised areas, there has been growing concern about the disposal of wastes of a hazardous or toxic nature. The increasing quantities and complexities of wastes from industrial processes, and the greater awareness of potential risks to health of present and future generations arising from indiscriminate or inadequate methods of disposal, are causing governments to undertake an intensive examination of the whole field of waste management. Reliable data on the types and quantities of hazardous wastes are very difficult to acquire and information available is generally based on estimates. Legislative and administrative measures are being proposed and developed, which will provide a framework for better control and improved standards for the handling, treatment and disposal of toxic and other hazardous wastes. In planning disposal systems, more attention will be given to methods of recovering and recycling materials which are becoming scarce or expensive. As stricter environmental controls raise disposal costs, there will be more incentive on industry to recycle wastes, where practicable.