European Governmental Initiatives in Waste Management

In this present technologically advanced age, everyday we are churning out thousands and millions of waste products. Several hazardous materials are being produced by the industries which sooner than later would result in serious consequences. To prevent a precarious situation, the European Union (EU) has come up with a number of European Governmental Initiatives in Waste Management.

The debris generated out of the information age is surely stacking up and if it is left unnoticed then there would be no place left for us. The European Union (EU) member states are taking action and holding manufacturers responsible for the hazardous materials produced by them. Around January 2003, the Council of the European Union and European Parliament agreed to pass Directive 2002/05/EC, more commonly known as the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive, or RoHS.

RoHS deal with the rising problem of discarded electrical and electronic equipment, or EEE. According to Britain's National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML), the directive includes items such as large household products (microwaves ,washing machines) also small household products ( toasters, vacuum cleaners); IT and telecommunications equipment ( laptop and mobile); consumer equipment ( video and cameras); electrical and electronic tools (electrical saws); and toys, sports equipments and leisure equipment (toy trains, video games). RoHS also talks about technology's high turnover rate and as result all products in the European market are required to be RoHS compliant as of June 1, 2006.

After the June 1, 2006 meeting the EU has termed lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls and Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) as the six contaminants that are present in EEE and should be strictly restricted from contaminating the environment further.

There is no definite way of defining waste. Anything that is discarded is termed waste but today the Environment Agency is responsible, as a "competent authority", for the enforcement of waste management controls in England and Wales. In Germany too there are multiple layers of RoHS and EEE disposal proposals.

There are several Governmental plans to check wastage, and several plans have been implemented over the years. LIFE is one such environmental initiative in the European Union and bordering countries. LIFE-Environment helps in controlling wastage by providing better ideas to control them. Recycling of goods is an important idea put forward by LIFE - Environmental plan.

Again, in May of 2003 the European Commission came up with a thematic strategy program for the prevention and recycling of waste. This scheme identifies means to develop waste management policy in line with the hierarchy of objectives set out in the Community's waste strategy.

Set up by the Business Council for Sustainable Development (UK), National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP) is another such waste management program currently being funded by the Governments Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (BREW) programme.

Other such programmes include Defra, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Environment Agency. These programmes are undertaking a review of the regulation of inert waste. Landfill Directive Implementation Group brings together waste management and producer industry stakeholders representatives and regulatory and policy officials for advice and input on various issues related to implementation of the EU Landfill Directive.

Overall there are several initiatives taken by the European Government to manage waste. According to them some of the waste products that need to be recycled are the exports and imports waste, non municipal waste, food and kitchen waste and animal by- products. Setting up Recycle on the Go - bins in public places will go a long way in achieving these objectives. Thus we can say that the European Governmental Initiatives in Waste Management would go a long way in developing the society by turning it into a healthier and pollution free place to stay.

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