Waste Management &

Regulations
 What is legislation?
• Refers to existence of local & state regulations concerning use &
disposal of specific materials

• Important factor that influences composition & generation of certain

types of wastes.

• Indian legislation dealing with packing & beverage container materials

is an example.

• Elements that relate to waste generation

- Land use characteristics - Population in age distribution
- Legislation - Socio economic conditions
- Household & approximate number
Waste Management Laws govern:

• Transport
• Storage
• Disposal
• Treatment of all types of waste

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 Waste Laws
• Waste laws are generally designed to minimize or eliminate the
uncontrolled dispersal of waste materials into the environment in a
manner that may cause ecological or biological harm.

• They include laws designed to reduce the generation of waste and

to promote or mandate waste recycling.

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 Regulatory Efforts
Identifying waste
Mandating
transport Categorizing
practices waste
Regulatory
efforts
Mandating
treatment Mandating
practices disposal practices

Mandating
storage practices

➢ What other regulatory measures can you think of? 11

 Waste Determination
• Waste determination is the process by which a
particular material is classified as a "waste" subject to
regulation.

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 Waste Determination
• The definition of the type of waste determines its handling\

e.g. non-hazardous municipal waste can be disposed of in landfills

• However, some household waste is considered hazardous & is

subject to strict storage, handling & transport regulations.

e.g. Such wastes include motor oils, batteries, & mercury-containing

devices
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• What items of daily use requiring the special
disposal methods can you remember?

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 Waste Determination
• Many wastes have their own individual definitions and unique
handling requirements

• In such cases the item is discarded, then passes through various

processing, recycling and storage areas before it reaches its final
disposal site

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 Disposal Standards
• Disposal standards govern the permissibility, method, and
location of disposal of a particular waste. Such standards may be
designed to protect human health and comfort, and environmental
values. A variety of methods exist to control disposal.

• For example, waste disposal may be restricted by certain

prohibitions. The most common case is a ban on littering on the
streets.

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 Disposal Standards
• If laws define a specific place or system for collecting garbage,
placing or leaving garbage elsewhere may be subject to penalties.

• Other, more specific bans on landfill - a ban on draining engine oil

down the drain, methods and places for the disposal of medical,
military and chemical waste - all govern the final disposal site for
various waste.

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