Topic: National and International Solid Waste Legislation and

Regulations
Submitted to:
Dr Zaki Ul Zaman Asam
Submitted by:
Sana Bakht 15051561-034
Zainab Mushtaq 15051561-038
Warda Azhar 15051561-030
Wania Jamroz 15051561-033
Kashaf ul Khair 15051561-001
Saddiqa Anjum 15051561-047
M. Asif Khan 15051561-037

Subject:
Solid and Hazardous Waste Management
Section/Semester/ Program /Department:
A/7th /BS /Environmental sciences

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 Contents

1. Introduction...........................................................................................................................3
2. National Solid Waste Legislations and Regulations.............................................................3
2.1 Laws and Regulations...................................................................................................3
3. Solid waste regulation in major cities of Pakistan................................................................3
3.1 Solid Waste Regulation in Lahore.................................................................................3
3.2 Solid Waste Regulation in Karachi...............................................................................3
4. Legislations on solid waste:..................................................................................................4
5. International solid waste legislations and regulations..........................................................4
5.1 United Kingdom............................................................................................................4
5.2 European Union.............................................................................................................5
5.2.3 US Solid Waste Legislation.......................................................................................5
6. Conclusion............................................................................................................................6

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 1. Introduction
The term waste disposal may include any land, building, plant, system, facility, trucks and other
motor vehicles, equipment or other property, used in connection with the collection, storage,
treatment, utilization, recycling, processing, transporting or disposal of solid waste, including
transfer stations, incinerators, sanitary landfill facilities or other facilities connected to them.

2. National Solid Waste Legislations and Regulations

At the federal level, administrative agencies organize relevant legislation and overall targets with
a view to ensuring the protection of environment. The Municipalities and Municipalities
Association have also responsibilities regarding the collection of solid waste.
a) Solid Waste Management Law said that sweeping and cleaning of streets and public
spaces, collection and transportation of all kinds of waste, use of waste and farm manure.
b) Punjab Municipality’s Solid Waste Management Directives 5 /28 said Various elements
of Solid Waste Management, such as waste collection, waste transfer, recycling, waste
burning, composting, biogas generation, and sanitary landfills are included within the
framework of this directive, and technical assistance is provided to performing such
procedures with a minimal impact on the environment.
c) Rules Regarding Hazardous Materials, 2003 regulate the licensing requirements for the
collection, shipment, transportation, processing, disposal or importation of hazardous
waste by firms using the materials
d) Regulation on the Management of Hospital Waste, 2005 the regulation assigns the 25 /28
waste management responsibility sorted collection of the waste at the source,
transportation and disposal to hospitals,
e) Pakistan Environment Protection Agency (IEE and EIA Analyses) Regulation, 2000
Waste disposal facilities with an annual capacity of less than 10,000 cubic meters, for the
disposal of domestic and industrial waste”
f) Pakistan Environmental Protection Act (PEPA) 1997. Section 11 of the Pakistan
Environmental Protection Act prohibits discharge of waste in an amount or concentration
that violates the National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS).
g) Hazardous Substances Rules of 1999.

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 h) Guidelines for Hospital Waste Management since 1998 prepared by the Environmental
Health Unit of the Ministry of Health, Government of Pakistan.
i) Hospital Waste Management Rules 2005.
j) Hazardous Substances Rules 2003.
k) National Environment Quality Standards Rules.
l) Islamabad Capital Territory Bye Laws, 1968 by Capital Development Authority
Islamabad.
m) Section 132 of the Cantonment Act 1924 deals with Deposits and disposal of rubbish etc
(Chi, et. al, 2011).

3. International solid waste legislations and regulations

The current focus for regulatory discourse surrounding the management of municipal solid waste
is one of resource efficiency. Majorly the international regulation for dealing with solid waste
comes from Clean Environment Act 1973.

Some of the legislations and regulations of some countries are as follow:

3.1 United Kingdom

The history of legislation relating to waste management has been traced back to 1388 with an
Act of Richard II. The Public Health Act 1848 provided, for the first time, the general public
with protection from people depositing waste.

The first waste management legislation dedicated to environmental rather than public health
aspects of waste was the Control of Pollution Act 1974 (COPA), the first UK statute regarding
the disposal of waste to land. The Directive was implemented in the UK by the Landfill (England
and Wales) Regulations 2002 instituting the Directive’s administrative controls, and the Waste
and Emissions Trading Act 2003 to achieve the Directive’s targets in diversion of biodegradable
waste from landfill though the innovative concept of a tradable landfill disposal allowance.

3.2 European Union

3.2.1 EU regulations

EU regulations are for standardization of legislation and are directly applicable in the EU-states
(comparable to national legislation). Obligatory target should obligatory implement legislations
and regulations

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 3.2.2 EU Legislations

Implemented in 1975 and last amended in 2008. It sets definitions of waste, recycling, recovery
and explains when waste ceases to be waste.

Basic waste management principles were established:

 Avoid endangering human health and harming the environment

 Avoid causing a nuisance through noise or odors
 Avoid adversely affecting the countryside or places of special interest

3.2.3 US Solid Waste Legislation

 Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965: It promotes better management of solid wastes and
supports resource recovery. Provided financial assistance for states to study and develop
solid waste management plans.
 Resource Recovery Act of 1970: Directed that the nation would change its emphasis
from solid waste disposal to recycling and energy recovery. Required the US PHS to
investigate and report on the disposal of hazardous waste in the nation.
 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA): Significant requirements
for the control of hazardous waste storage, treatment and disposal.
 The Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984 (HSWA): Direct the US EPA
to revise criteria for landfills which receive hazardous household waste or small
quantities of industrial hazardous waste. Require treatment of all contaminated surface
water running off of landfills. Methods of disposing of wastewater sewage sludge at
landfills are included in the Clean Water Act as amended.

4. Conclusion
All major cities of Pakistan lack safe disposal practices and do not have any properly
designed and operational facility for waste disposal. At present solid waste is dumped openly
along roadsides, any available ravines or depressions. Like all cities of Pakistan Rawalpindi
city also does not have any integrated approach for solid waste management. Unlike Pakistan
international countries pay full attention and follow rules and regulations seriously. If they
cannot follow then they pay heavy amount as a penalty.

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5. References:
1. Chi, X., Streicher-Porte, M., Wang, M. Y., & Reuter, M. A. (2011). Informal electronic
waste recycling: a sector review with special focus on China. Waste Management, 31(4),
731-742.
2. https://definitions.uslegal.com/w/waste-disposal/
3. https://ppp.worldbank.org/public-private-partnership/sector/solid-waste/waste-laws-
regulations#top
4. https://www.epa.gov/rcra
5. https://www.gob.mx/cms/uploads/attachment/file/
197660/1._Introducci_n_a_la_GIR_y_ML_en_la_Uni_n_Europea.pdf

6. Olmez, E., & Sezer, K. (2012). Consulting services project for integrated solid waste
management of Lahore city of the state of Punjab in Pakistan-Waste Characterization
Study.
7. Rasheed, S., Iqbal, S., Baig, L. A., & Mufti, K. (2005). Hospital Waste Management in
the Teaching Hospitals of Karachi. JPMA, 55, 192