Anita Boros, Gyula Koi (eds): Sustainability and Law
›
7. Questions of environmental law and environmental administrations (Anita Boros-Petra Stankovics)
›
7.1. Waste management (Anita Boros)
›
7.1.6. State involvement in increasing the efficiency of waste management

7.1.6. State involvement in increasing the efficiency of waste management

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

Below is a summary on problems faced by current waste management systems and the most important tasks to be carried out by nation states in order to achieve various waste management targets.
 

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

Problems:

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

a) making up for regulatory and standardisation gaps: determining global waste management trends is difficult for a number of reasons. One of the most important of these is the issue of regulatory deficiencies. On the one hand, the terminology is not the same globally, or even at the regional level. In general, developed countries have more detailed and modern regulatory systems than developing countries. It can also often be seen that modern rules and waste management practices are transposed into national laws without thorough impact studies, even though the regulatory background, traditions, culture, consumption or waste production habits of the given state are not prepared for the integration of the new types of regulations.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

Furthermore, in some regions - e.g. in the EU – waste management regulations that are extremely broad and cover multiple sub-areas are typical, while elsewhere the framework regulations are only generally defined. Thus, it happens that basic terms, such as the concept of waste, do not have the same meaning in legislation and the application of the law in each region. Defining the concept of waste is important because completely different rules apply to items that are not classified as waste (e.g. in the context of cross-border trade). Clear and unquestionable criteria must be identified that determine when a waste receives product (or secondary raw material) status.1

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

On the other hand, some authors point out that over-regulation is also not expedient. In China, for example, between 2003 and 2018, more than one hundred and seventy national standards and more than two hundred industrial standards were issued for twenty-three sectors at the central level. In addition, regulations can also be issued at the local level. However, there are significant regional differences between such local regulations and the policies and regulations issued at the provincial level: while the former covered a wider range of issues, the policies and regulations formulated by individual cities, counties and districts are more specific and targeted.2

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

Another key aspect of regulation is that it must be comprehensive with regard to individual waste management issues. For sinatnec, it is not enough to determine on a normative level whether a substance is harmful to the environment, but but it is necessary to ensure that such harmful substances do not end up in nature by establishing explicit and adequate measures (e.g. separate collection and appropriate disposal).3

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

However, it is difficult to develop general solutions that can be applied everywhere, because as products become more modern or complex, the composition of waste also changes. In addition, in many cases methodological challenges related to monitoring and measuring waste arise.4
 

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

b) Several countries lack the tools to control waste management, so only data that are hard to compare are available from individual regions, for example, regarding the total waste collected and the composition of waste. In many cases, only estimatesare available.5 The different content of data is also complicated by the different regulations on compliance, which is why it would be necessary - at least for the most important issues - to develop a unified standard system. The lack of appropriate waste management standards is also a challenge in the application of smart basic technologies in the automation of relevant activities.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

The construction of the appropriate monitoring system is related to the operation of the entire waste management system, since it is based on real data that is possible to determine, for example, the necessary waste management capacities and correct evaluation methodology. The Global Waste Management Outlook 20246 in its global study of municipal solid waste,7 concluded that its greatest increase is expected in fast-growing economies, where waste production already exceeds treatment capacity. 8 In addition to capacity indicators, waste management is also determined by its composition, as it requires a different treatment method, e.g. food waste, sanitary waste or even plastic waste.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

c) Considering the negative environmental impact and other adverse effects of producing waste, the most important goal is to prevent waste generation. The state institutional system has a significant responsibility in this. An item becomes waste once it is discarded; items are usually products used (and disposed of) by consumers. That is why educating the public, as well as business and industry actorsplays such a crucial role. This can be achieved by increasing the integration of environmental protection and waste prevention principles into the education system, by checking compliance with the regulations and by strictly sanctioning those who break the rules. Experience shows that household waste management practices are shaped by rational decisions, but also by habits,9 so in societies where social environmental awareness is high, more moderate sanctions can also be effective.
 

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

d) Access to waste collection services varies significantly within and across regions: in higher-income regions, almost all municipal solid waste is collected, while in lower-income countries the collection rate is significantly lower (e.g. Oceania, Central and South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa).10 This also shows that a proper organisation of waste management service is extremely important. In most countries, waste management is a public task organised and carried out by local governments. In addition, there are models where the state performs waste management tasks with the involvement of municipalities or private parties. According to the UN, it can be beneficial to involve the private sector more actively in order to avoid administrative bureaucratic obstacles.11

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

Literature shows that the transition to a circular economy can be facilitated by effective coordination between stakeholders, synergy management, data sharing, and dialogue and cooperation between key players. It is advisable to organise these quasi-coordinating tasks within the framework of central administrative tasks for the purpose of uniformity and harmonisation of diverse regulations.12

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

In the case of already generated waste, the proper collection of the waste is a cardinal issue. Regarding collection, it is also necessary to monitor the practical implementation of the regulation, since the amount and composition of waste can change continuously. It depends on changes in people’s lifestyles, changes in income or the availability of resources. For this very reason, it may be necessary to change the already well-proven and worked-out collection methods. The policy preparation and implementation pertaining to this should be the task of the administrative organisational system.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

In addition to organising the collection process, its appropriate and careful regulation is also important, since e.g. in the case of mixed collection of municipal waste, the extraction of recyclable materials is much more difficult and costly due to increased contamination. This also means that it is crucial to support the development of waste collection methods, encouraging the use of innovative models.13
 

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

e) Waste management has been described as one of the key features of the circular economic model. One other very important stage of the circular economy model - as well as the waste hierarchy - is reuse. Reuse is higher in the waste hierarchy than recycling, as it does not involve energy-intensive processes. States have an increased responsibility for creating the institutional and market conditions for reuse. This requires the elaboration of good national practices of reuse and their broad social integration.
 

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

f) In practice, the recycling of waste has become the most widespread, and in developed economies, individual industries quickly recognised the market opportunities inherent in recycling. Of course, the establishment of an efficient collection system is also a prerequisite for this. The responsibility of the states is primarily to support the innovations and investments required for recycling, to ensure the quality of the product created through recycling, and to support its market access. As we have already mentioned, the EU has set a target of 60% for the reuse and recycling of municipal waste by 2030. This requires increased infrastructure investments and the creation of a targeted incentive system from the EU Member States. According to some authors, one of the obstacles to the transition to a circular economy is that consumers are attracted to new products. This discourages investment in improving the durability of goods.14 New products are also usually more expensive.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

National guidelines, standards and certifications for recycling processes can help build confidence among producers and consumers and strengthen national markets for recycled products.15
 

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

g) Another important goal of waste management is to reduce waste disposal and prevent the loss of secondary raw materials contained in waste. That’s why states need to increase their waste reduction and recycling efforts to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills. In addition, it is very important to establish appropriate disposal practices and to create regulatory frameworks, because improper disposal attracts pests, blocks natural ecological pathways (canals, reproductive pathways) and can lead to the proliferation of pathogens.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

According to the directive on landfills in the EU, the amount of municipal waste transported to landfills must be reduced to 10% or less of the total municipal waste generated by 2035. Some Member States - Germany, Bulgaria, Austria and Slovenia - have already reached or exceeded this 60% target value and there are also Member States - Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Germany and Austria – where landfill has been replaced by waste incineration,16 however, landfill remains popular in eastern and southern European countries.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

h) Waste incineration is one of the solutions for waste disposal. At the same time, it results in a wide range of airborne pollutants, some of which remain permanently in the air and are extremely harmful to the environment and human health.
 

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

i) Carrying out waste management tasks is rather expensive. As the amount of waste rises, costs also increase. Inadequate waste management systems are often the result of a lack of financial resources. In 2020, the global urban waste management cost was US$252.3 billion.17 The most expensive aspect is the provision of the human and material resources for the collection, as well as the establishment and operation of the infrastructural elements.
 

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

j) Finally, it is worth highlighting the incentive role of the state, as it can support the increase in the efficiency of waste management with the help of numerous monetary and non-monetary incentives. Change undoubtedly requires an interdisciplinary approach and the involvement of all layers of society.18 Different support mechanisms can promote the manufacturer’s eco-innovations and encourage recycling.19 In addition, the support of waste management innovations also encourages learning and integration of advanced waste management methodologies.20 The latest green economy trends support the development of cleaner, less polluting and waste-producing technologies that use materials and resources more efficiently.21
 
1Ragossnig, A. M., Schneider, D. R. (2019). ‘Circular economy, recycling and end-of-waste.’ Waste Management & Research, 37(2). 109-111, DOI: 10.1177/0734242X19826776
2Guo, W., Xi, B., Huang, C., Li, J., Tang, Zh., Li, W., Ma, C., Wu, W. (2021).‘Solid waste management in China: Policy and driving factors in 2004–2019.’ Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 33(6) Vol. 173. 105727. DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.105727
3Musliu, A., Beqa, L., Kastrati, G. (2021).‘The use of dental amalgam and amalgam waste management in Kosova: An environmental policy approach.’ Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management, 17(5) 1037-1044. DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4408
4 Linder, M., Sarasini, S., van Massimiliano Mazzanti, P., Zoboli, R. (2008). ‘Waste generation, waste disposal and policy effectiveness: Evidence on decoupling from the European Union.’ Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 52(10) 1221-1234. DOI: 10.1016/j.seps.2017.12.006 DOI: 10.1016/j.seps.2017.12.006 DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2008.07.003
5 Linder-Sarasini-van Massimiliano Mazzanti-Zoboli (2008) op. cit.
6

‘United Nations Environment Program (2024). Global Waste Management Outlook 2024: Beyond an age of

waste – Turning rubbish into a resource. Nairobi.’<https://wedocs.unep.org/20.500.11822/44939> (accessed 29 October 2024)

7The UN document primarily applies to municipal solid waste (MSW), which includes all residential and commercial waste, but does not include industrial waste, construction demolition, agricultural, health (hazardous) waste.
8It is estimated that more than half of the expected increase in world population by 2050 will be concentrated in eight countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and the United Republic of Tanzania.
9 Comber, R., Rossitto, Ch. (2023). ‘Regulating responsibility. Environmental sustainability, law, and the platformisation of waste management.’ In: Schmidt, A., Väänänen, K., Goyal, T., Kristensson, P. A., Peters, A., Mueller, S., Williamson, J. R., Wilson, M. L. (eds.), Proceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. (New York City:Association for Computing Machinery). 1-19. ISBN 978-1-4503-9421-5. DOI: 10.1145/3544548.358149
10

‘United Nations Environment Program (2024). Global Waste Management Outlook 2024: Beyond an age of

waste – Turning rubbish into a resource. Nairobi.’<https://wedocs.unep.org/20.500.11822/44939> (accessed 29 October 2024)

11 Zhao, Y., Yu, M., Kong, F, W., Li, L. H. (2019).‘An emergy ternary diagram approach to evaluate circular economy implementation of eco-industrial parks.’ Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy, 21(6)1433-1445. DOI: 10.1007/s10098-019-01714-z
12Salmenperä, H., Pitkänen, K., Kautto, P., Saikku, L. (2021). ‘Critical factors for enhancing the circular economy in waste management.’ Journal of cleaner production, 24(1) Vol. 280. 124339. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.124339
13Colasante, A., D’Adamo, I., Morone, P., Rosa, P. (2022). ‘Assessing the circularity performance in a European cross-country comparison. Environment.’ (2022) 93. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 93(3) 106730. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90957-2
14 Chioatto-Sospiro (2023) op. cit.
15

‘United Nations Environment Program (2024). Global Waste Management Outlook 2024: Beyond an age of

waste – Turning rubbish into a resource. Nairobi.’<https://wedocs.unep.org/20.500.11822/44939> (accessed 29 October 2024)

16 ‘Waste management in the EU: trends and statistics (infographic)’ [Hulladékkezelés az EU-ban: trendek és statisztikák (infografika)] https://www.europarl.europa.eu/topics/hu/article/20180328STO00751/hulladekkezeles-az-eu-ban-trendek-es-statisztikkak-infografika (accessed 29 October 2024)
17

United Nations Environment Program (2024). Global Waste Management Outlook 2024: Beyond an age of

waste – Turning rubbish into a resource. Nairobi.’<https://wedocs.unep.org/20.500.11822/44939> (accessed 29 October 2024)

18Colasante-D’Adamo-Morone-Rosa (2022) op cit.
19Ragossnig-Schneider, (2019) op. cit.
20Hannan, M. A., Al Mamun, Md. A., Hussain, A., Basri, H., Begum, R. A. (2015). ‘A review on technologies and their usage in solid waste monitoring and management systems: issues and challenges.’ Waste Management, 26(10) Vol. 43. 509-523. DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2015.05.033
21 Loiseau-Saikku and Antikainen et al. op. cit.
chevron_left
chevron_right
Tartalomjegyzék navigate_next
Keresés a kiadványban navigate_next
A kereséshez, kérjük, lépj be!
Könyvjelzőim navigate_next
A könyvjelzők használatához
be kell jelentkezned.
Jegyzeteim navigate_next
Jegyzetek létrehozásához
be kell jelentkezned.
    Kiemeléseim navigate_next
    Mutasd a szövegben:
    Szűrés:
    Kiemelések létrehozásához
    MeRSZ+ előfizetés szükséges.
      Útmutató elindítása
      delete
      Kivonat
      fullscreenclose
      printsave