Vital Waste Graphics

TRANSPORT AND TRADE

The amount of waste on the move is increasing rapidly. Reports to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Haz- ardous Wastes and their Disposal suggest that between 1993 and 2001 the amount of waste crisscrossing the globe increased from 2 million tonnes to more than 8.5 million tonnes. What is this material that is be- ing traded between countries, where is it from and where is it going? Unfortunately data on waste movements are incomplete – not all coun- tries report waste movements to the Basel Convention. However, we do know that the movement of waste is big business.

NB: The Basel Conven- tion does not cover radioactive waste.

Evolution of transboundary movements of waste among Parties to the Basel Convention

Million tonnes

Transboundary movements of waste in 2000

20

Million tonnes

900

Total Recycling Disposal

800

16

700

600

12

500

400

8

300

200

4

100

0

0

Between OECD

Between Non-OECD

Between OECD and Non-OECD

Between all Parties

1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

Source: Basel Convention

Source: Basel Convention

The traders Approximately 75% of the total volume of waste is traded between developed countries (OECD members). At the second conference of the par- ties to the Basel Convention, Parties adopted a ban on the export of hazardous waste for final disposal from OECD countries to non-OECD countries (which has not entered into force). The shipment of wastes intended for reuse or recy- cling is currently negotiated between individual countries, ensuring that OECD countries can still export hazardous material for this purpose to non-OECD countries. What is being traded? According to the Basel Convention reports, of more than 300 million tonnes of waste (including hazard- ous and other waste) generated worldwide in 2000, a little less that 2% was exported. However 90% of the exported waste was classified as hazardous. The principal waste export by volume was lead and lead compounds bound for recycling.

Well travelled waste Waste, including extremely hazardous waste like radioactive material, toxic heavy metals and poisonous PCBs are routinely being loaded into trucks, and transported across continents. Some is loaded onto ships and exported to other countries. Often the waste is being sent for recycling but some is just dumped. Between 1993 and 1999 122 countries reported nearly 30 000 waste exports. During this period Germany was the top exporter (nearly 7 million tonnes) and France was the leading importer (just over 3 million tonnes).