This document is the second analysis of the data transmitted under Article 13 and covers the period between 2007 and 2015. The national reports submitted by Parties are available on the web site of the Convention. The previous analysis covered the period from 2004 to 2006.
The reports submitted by Parties to the Basel Convention, which are the basis of the analysis, show large gaps in the data on generation of hazardous and other wastes. In addition to the lack of data provided by about half of the Parties, the data between Parties are very difficult to compare, due to differences in national definition of hazardous waste and differences in measuring and reporting systems. Even the time series of the same Party can show extremely large differences over the years. In most cases Parties do not provide information about the background of such marked differences and these are therefore unexplained. To prepare the analysis of the data on generation, the information provided under the Basel Convention was complemented with data from the UN Statistics Division, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and Eurostat. By complementing the data in this manner, it was possible to develop an estimate of the amount of hazardous waste and other waste generated globally.
The dataset on transboundary movement is expected to cover the vast majority of the transboundary movements. However, in addition to the lack of data provided by about half of the Parties, the data between Parties are sometimes not comparable for instance because some include information on movements outside the scope of the Convention. An attempt has been made to exclude such data from the analysis, but this is not always possible because Parties do not indicate the status of the information very clearly.
Nevertheless, there are some interesting conclusions that can be drawn from the analysis.
- Only 50% of the Parties fulfill their obligation and transmit their reports in a given year. Quantitative information on the generation of hazardous wastes and other wastes is provided in only 25-30% of these reports. These percentages have not increased significantly despite the calls of the subsequent meetings of the Conference of the Parties (COP), the efforts of the Committee administering the mechanism for promoting the implementation and compliance of the Basel Convention (hereafter the ‘Implementation and Compliance Committee’) and the Secretariat. The revised reporting format to be used as for the year 2016 provides that the submission of such information has become optional.
- The generation of hazardous waste is estimated to have increased from 256 – 259 metric ton (MT) in 2007 to 390 – 394 MT in 2015. The most significant increases were seen in lower middle income and higher middle income countries.
- The amount of household waste that is generated worldwide in 2015is estimated to be around 1,6 billion MT. The amount has increased around 12% in the period 2007 – 2015. In particular in upper-middle income countries the increase was large and these countries generated in 2015 nearly the same amount of household waste as the high income countries.
- Between 2007 and 2015 the volume of transboundary movements increased from 9,3 to 14,4 million MT. This growth is mainly driven by an increased transboundary movements of household waste. The flow of hazardous wastes is more or less stable over the period. The amount is also more or less the same as in 2004 – 2006, even though the data for that period are not totally comparable with the current data.
- Based on the comparison of data on generation and on transboundary movement per country is can be estimated that overall, 97% of all hazardous waste that is generated stays within the country where it is generated and this percentage remains stable over the years. The high income countries export a higher percentage of the hazardous waste generated as they export nearly 6 percent of it. In the lower-income countries, export represents less than 0,5% of the hazardous waste generated. The situation however differs considerably per country, with some countries exporting the majority of their hazardous waste. These are often small countries which may have more difficulties setting up infrastructure to treat their own hazardous waste.
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