Issue No. 107,January , 2020

Issue No. 106

01 / BCRC China Activities

BCRC China Participated in the 2020 Tasks

Assignment of Ministry of Ecology and

Environment of China

02 / BC Implementation

Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China

Issued "Management and Technical Guide (Trial)

on Emergency Treatment and Disposal of Health-

care Wastes When Infection with Corona Virus

Disease (COVID-19)"

China Unveils Five-year Plan to Ban Single-use

Plastics

Malaysia Returns 150 Containers of Plastic

Waste

Philippines Sent Back Last Batch of Imported

Trash to South Korea

U.S. Hawaii Deals with Burgeoning Waste

Management Problem

EPA Approves U.S. Virgin Islands Solid Waste

Program

Draft Science Assessment of Plastic Pollution

Confirms Negative Impact of Plastic Pollution on

the Environment in Canada

03 / Science Updates

Estimation of the Metal Flow of WEEE in Vietnam

Considering Lifespan Transition

Improving Sustainability of E-waste Management

through the Systemic Design of Solutions: the

Cases of Colombia and Ecuador

04 / International Viewpoint

Safe Management of Wastes from Health-care

Activities

05 / Calling for Articles

BCRC China/SCRCAP Held the First Face-to-Face Meeting of the Expert Working

Group (EWG) on the E-waste Technical Guidelines

11

Issue No. 106

BCRC China Participated

in the 2020 Tasks

Assignment of Ministry of

Ecology and Environment

of China

In order to scientifically and

reasonably arrange the work in

2020, the Department of Solid

Wastes and Chemicals of the

Ministry of Ecology and

Environment, under the guidance of

Director Qiu Qiwen, clarified the

list of work items, key content and

time points in 2020, and appointed

the responsible persons and support

units. Solid Waste and Chemicals

Management Center, Chinese

Research Academy of

Environmental Sciences, Chinese

Academy of Environmental

Planning, Policy Research Center

for Environment and Economy,

Foreign Economic Cooperation

Office (FECO), Basel Convention

Asia-Pacific Regional Center

(Hereinafter referred to as "BCRC

China") and other relevant units

participated the meeting.

On January 19, 2020, the Division

of Solid Wastes Management 2020

tasks assignment meeting was

held. Key tasks include the Reform

of Solid Waste Import

Management Policies, "Zero Waste

City" Pilot Construction,

Comprehensive Control of White

Pollution, research on urban solid

waste indicators, prevention and

control of pollution by general

industrial solid wastes,

implementation of Basel

Convention, etc. According to the

work tasks assignment, the BCRC

China will fully combine the

strength of the center and Tsinghua

University to fully support the

evaluation of the Reform of Solid

Waste Import Management

Policies, the technical assistance in

the cities and international

publicity of "Zero Waste City"

Pilot Construction, and the

implementation of Basel

Convention and related

international cooperation work.

Ms. Zhao Nana, Assistant Director

of BCRC China, and Ms. Duan

Lizhe attended the meeting.

On January 21, 2020, the Division

of General Office 2020 tasks

assignment meeting was held. Key

tasks include the revision of the

Law on Prevention and Control of

Pollution by Solid Wastes and the

improvement of supporting

policies, the prevention and control

of pollution by E-waste, and etc.

According to the work tasks

assignment, BCRC China will

continue to organize the High-level

Forum on Solid wastes and

Chemicals to discuss management

ideas and key contents on national

solid wastes and chemicals

management during the 14th Five-

Year Plan period, and will carry out

research on integrated wastes

management in customs special

supervision zones. Ms. Zhao Nana,

Assistant Director of BCRC China

attended the meeting.

BC Implementation Ministry of Ecology and

Environment of China

Issued "Management and

Technical Guide (Trial) on

Emergency Treatment

and Disposal of Health-

care Wastes When

Infection with Corona Virus

Disease (COVID-19)" In response to the infection with

Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19)",

Ministry of Ecology and Environment

of the People’s Republic of China

issued the " Management and

Technical Guide (Trial) on

Emergency Treatment and Disposal

of Health-care Wastes When

Infection with Corona Virus Disease

market players, fostering a new

model of industrial development,

proving policy effectiveness.

More...

New EU regime for safer

and greener ship

recycling enters into force

From 31 December 2018, new EU

regime for safer and greener ship

recycling enters into force. Under

the revised EU Ship Recycling

Regulation, the recycling of all

large sea-going vessels sailing

under an EU flag can only take

place in yards included in the

European List of ship recycling

facilities. The regulation is the only

legally binding and comprehensive

instrument on ship recycling in

force in the world today, which

aims to make ship recycling

greener and safer. More...

Singapore set aside $2

million for the zero waste

programme

On 22 January 2019, Dr. Amy

Khor, Senior Minister of State for

the Environment and Water

Resources of Singapore announced

that $2 million will be made

available to support zero waste

projects. A ‘Towards Zero Waste

Grant’ will support zero waste

ground-up initiatives by

individuals, interest groups, non-

governmental organizations

(NGOs), Grassroots organizations

and corporations. By encouraging

such initiatives, the aim is to

increase awareness of the large

amounts of waste Singapore is

generating and garner the active

participation of various partners to

build a strong 3R (Reduce, Reuse

and Recycle) culture in Singapore.

This is to conserve our precious

resources, extend the lifespan of

Semakau Landfill, and pave the

way towards a Zero Waste Nation

through a circular economy

approach.. More...

Philippines Returns Tons

of Trash to South Korea

The Philippines over the weekend

shipped back to South Korea tons

of garbage stored in 51 container

vans, officials said Monday, six

months after the trash arrived in

the port of Tagoloan, in southern

Misamis Oriental province.Seoul

had agreed to pay the U.S.

$47,000 (2.5 million pesos) cost

of shipping the container vans to

the port of Pyeongtaek, South

Korea. The South Korean

government had also agreed to

shoulder the expense for shipping

5,100 tons of remaining waste in

Tagoloan town, Misamis Oriental.

Earlier this month, Korean media

reported that the country would

cover the cost of returning the

waste. More...

Samoa joins the fight

against plastic pollution

Samoa has become the latest

Pacific island country to enforce a

ban on single-use plastics in a bid

to address the growing issue of

plastic pollution. The Waste

(Plastic Ban) Management

Regulation 2018 was officially

endorsed by Cabinet of the

Government of Samoa in 2018 to

manage the plastic problem in

Samoa with commitment to protect

the country’s oceans and marine

environment. The ban prohibits the

import, manufacture, export, sale

and distribution of plastic

shopping bags, packing bags and

straws effective from 30 January

2019.“plastic shopping bags”

under the regulation means a bag

made in whole or partly of thin

plastic film and contains starch

(such as biodegradable bags) or

full petroleum, or additive used as

shopping bags. “Packing bags”

means packing bags used for re-

packing and storage of products.

Also included in the regulations is

a fine for those who fail to comply

with the plastic ban. The fine is set

at SAT $10,000. More...

Morocco Amends Law on

Banned Plastic Bags,

Adds Measures for

Seizure

The Government Council of Rabat

adopted Bill 57.18 amending and

modifying Law

Issue No. 106

(COVID-19)"" on January 28,

2020. In order to guide the

harmless disposal of health-care

wastes when infection with a

COVID-19 timely, orderly and

efficiently, the Guide standardizes

the management and technical

requirements.

The Guide requires local

environmental authorities at all

levels under the unified leadership

of the people's government, in

coordination with the health

departments, to improve the

emergency coordination

mechanism and jointly organize

the emergency treatment of health-

care wastes when infection with a

COVID-19. Technical routes were

proposed. On the premise of

ensuring the treatment effect,

mobile health-care wastes disposal

facilities, hazardous wastes

incineration facilities, household

wastes incineration facilities,

industrial furnaces and other

facilities on a fixed-point basis can

be selected for emergency

treatment of health-care wastes

when infection with a COVID-19.

These health-care wastes may also

be transferred to nearby health-

care wastes centralized treatment

facilities for emergency disposal in

accordance with the interregional

coordination. The Guide also

points out the special technical

requirements for the collection and

temporary storage, transfer,

disposal, other emergency disposal

facilities of health-care wastes, and

personnel health protection.More...

China Unveils Five-year

Plan to Ban Single-use

Plastics

In a new five-year plan, China is

taking major steps to rid the nation

of single-use plastic waste. On

January 19, China announced its

plan to ban single-use plastics

across the country. The joint

proposal from China’s National

Development and Reform

Commission and the Ministry of

Ecology and Environment

prohibits the sale of disposable

foam plastic tableware, disposable

plastic cotton swabs and the

production of daily chemical

products containing plastic beads.

The initiative will be rolled out in

three phases. This year, China will

ban and restrict the production,

sales and use of some plastic

products in some regions and areas.

By 2022, China hopes the

consumption of disposable plastic

products will be significantly

reduced and alternative products

will be replaced. By 2025, China

will prohibit the production,

distribution, consumption and

recycling of single-use plastic

products.More...

Malaysia Returns 150

Containers of Plastic

Waste

Malaysia announced it has

returned 150 containers of plastic

waste to the countries from which

they were illegally imported. On

January 20, the country’s

Environment Minister Yeo Bee Yin

said she ordered 3,737 metric tons

of trash to be returned to 13

countries, including the United

States, United Kingdom, France

and Canada, the return does not

have any cost implication to the

Malaysian government. CNN

reports that of the 150 containers,

43 were sent back to France and 42

to the U.K., while the U.S. will

receive 17 and Canada 11. Last

May, the U.N. Basel Convention

voted to add new measures to

restrict and bring disclosure to

plastic waste trade. Under the

measure, countries have the right to

be notified in advance about plastic

waste trade shipments and will

have the right to refuse those

shipments.More...

Philippines Sent Back

Last Batch of Imported

Trash to South Korea

Philippines environment groups

renewed their call for foreign

countries to recycle their own

waste as the government shipped

back the remaining 5,177 metric

tons of mostly plastic trash back to

South Korea. Placed in 60

container vans, the hazardous

cargo was loaded onto an

international ship that left the

Mindanao Container Terminal sub-

port in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental

on Sunday, Jan. 19, for Pyeongtaek

City in South Korea.

“The reshipment of the falsely

declared wastes back to South

Korea affirms our nation’s resolve

Issue No. 106

to bring this dumping controversy

to its just conclusion,” said district

collector John Simon of the Bureau

of Customs Region 10.“To stop

this incident from happening again,

I add my voice to the growing

clamor to upgrade and strengthen

our legal defense against waste

dumping, including ratifying the

Basel Ban Amendment,” Simon

added.More...

U.S. Hawaii Deals with

Burgeoning Waste

Management Problem

Hawaii Island’s South Hilo

Sanitary Landfill has anywhere

from 20 to 100 years of capacity

left, Hawaii Public Radio reports.

However, the island is dealing with

waste management issues. The

Island has been dealing with

plastics that are no longer being

recycled, and its landfill predates

federal regulations that mandate

environmental safety measures like

industrial plastic liners and

collection systems for leachate.

And in Maui County, two landfills

are filling up fast and approaching

the end of their lifespans. But

waste-to-energy projects in the

area have been stalled due to

opposition from environmental

advocates. Now, the city must

decide how it will deal with the

island's waste in the future.More...

EPA Approves U.S.

Virgin Islands Solid

Waste Program

As part of its continuing efforts to

help the Caribbean develop solid

waste program capacity, the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency

(EPA) has approved the U.S. Virgin

Islands’ municipal solid waste

landfill permit program. This

approval is a significant

accomplishment for the territory

and enables the expansion of

existing landfills, construction of

new landfills, and design and

operational flexibilities such as

alternative daily cover and

alternative financial assurance

mechanisms. These authorities are

essential to ensure that solid waste

can be safely and sustainably

managed. Before making its final

decision to approve the U.S. Virgin

Islands’ program, EPA took public

comments for 60 days and held

three public hearings in July of

2019. Most commenters supported

the approval and several requested

clarifications on the roles associated

with USVI’s solid waste

management and implications of

approval. EPA has provided

responses, including the overview

of the statutory role of the USVI and

the federal government with respect

to solid waste management and the

required compliance with landfill

regulations established to protect

human health and the

environment.More...

Draft Science Assessment

of Plastic Pollution

Confirms Negative Impact

of Plastic Pollution on the

Environment in Canada

The Minister of Environment and

Climate Change, the Honourable

Jonathan Wilkinson, and the

Minister of Health, the Honourable

Patty Hajdu, published the Draft

Science Assessment of Plastic

Pollution on January 30, 2020,

which sheds light on the extent of

the plastic pollution problem in

Canada. The Assessment confirms

that larger plastic items like bags

and straws can physically harm

animals and negatively affect their

habitat. The report also highlights

microplastic pollution, noting

evidence of negative effects on

animals and the environment and

uncertainties regarding the

potential for effects on humans,

which require more research. This

draft science assessment of plastic

pollution will help inform the

Government of Canada’s actions

and policies as it follows through

on its commitment to ban harmful

single-use plastics. The

Government is working to have

new regulations in place as early as

2021, where supported by

scientific evidence and warranted.

The Draft Science Assessment of

Plastic Pollution has be published

on January 31, 2020, in Part I of

the Canada Gazette for a 60-day

public comment period.More...

Issue No. 106

Estimation of the Metal

Flow of WEEE in Vietnam

Considering Lifespan

Transition

During recent decades, rapid

urbanization, an increase in

population, and a change in lifestyle

have generated a significant amount

of waste electrical and electronic

equipment (WEEE). To develop

sustainable and efficient WEEE

management policies, particularly

in developing countries such as

Vietnam, it is of paramount

importance to forecast the amount

of WEEE generation expected in the

future. In the input-output approach

as one of the WEEE estimation

models, the determination of EEE

lifespan is a major concern because

it can be dynamic with time and

vary with socioeconomic situations.

Therefore, three scenarios were

considered on the basis of the

association of lifespan with gross

domestic product per capita. By

considering the lifespan transition,

this study estimated the potential

amount of WEEE, particularly large

home appliances including

refrigerators, washing machines, air

conditioners, and televisions

generated in Vietnam and the

relative volume of obsolete metals

contained in the WEEE during the

period 2015–2050. For this, it

employed a population balance

model, logistic function, and

Weibull distribution. It was found

that the estimated weight of WEEE

discarded in Vietnam during 2050

is mitigated 50% under the case

where the lifespan transition is

considered, compared to the case

where the lifespan transition is not

considered. By considering the

relationship between lifespan and

GDP per capita in estimating

potential WEEE, this study to some

extent covered the uncertainties

related to the lifespan and can

consequently contribute to the

enhancement of e-waste

estimation.

Citation:Kosai S, Kishita Y, Yamasue E.

Estimation of the metal flow of WEEE

in Vietnam considering lifespan

transition[J]. Resources, Conservation

and Recycling, 2020, 154: 104621.

Improving Sustainability

of E-waste Management

through the Systemic

Design of Solutions: the

Cases of Colombia and

Ecuador

The rapid increase in consumption

of electronic devices, coupled with

the low development of effective

regulatory frameworks, the

missing engagement of the

stakeholders, as well as the lack of

awareness of consumers and

widespread informal recycling

activities have been identified as

the main challenges for a

sustainable management of Waste

Electronic and Electrical

Equipment WEEE or E-waste in

developing countries. To tackle

this situation, policymakers often

take a simplistic approach focusing

only on technical and economic

aspects, while overlooking the

interests of all stakeholders and the

causality of the phenomenon. In

contrast, many developed

countries have implemented

legislation incorporating the

principle of extended producer

responsibility, which requires a

firm engagement of relevant actors

to achieve effective cooperation.

This chapter describes a systemic

design methodology which

ensures high-level involvement of

all pertinent actors. It was

successfully applied for the

development of the national policy

for WEEE management in

Colombia (2014–16) and for

identifying solutions shaped in a

participatory process in Ecuador

(2018).

Citation:Méndez-Fajardo S, Böni H,

Vanegas P, et al. Improving

sustainability of E-waste

management through the systemic

design of solutions: the cases of

Colombia and

Ecuador[M]//Handbook of Electronic

Waste Management. Butterworth-

Heinemann, 2020: 443-478.

Science Updates

International Viewpoint

Safe Management of Wastes

from Health-care Activities

On January 25, 2020, the World Health

Organization (WHO) issued the interim

guidance titled Infection prevention and

control during health care when

COVID-19 Infection is suspected. The

interim guidance is intended for

healthcare workers, healthcare

managers and IPC teams at the facility

level, and also relevant for the national

and district/provincial level. In the

guidance, it’s pointed that medical

waste should be managed in accordance

with safe routine procedures.

As a practical response to the need for

improved health-care waste

management, especially in developing

countries, WHO together with WHO’s

European Centre for Environment and

Health in Nancy, France, set up an

international working group (in 1995)

to produce a practical guide. The 2nd

edition of the publication “Safe

Management of Wastes from Health-

care Activities” was prepared. The

publication is designed to be a source of

impartial health-care information and

guidance on safe waste-management

practices, for those directly involved in

the creation and handling of health-care

wastes: medical staff, health-care

facility directors, ancillary health

workers, infection-control officers and

waste workers, regulators,

policymakers, and so on.

The publication introduces the various

types of waste produced from health-

care facilities, their typical

characteristics and the hazards these

wastes pose to patients, staff and the

general environment; the guiding

regulatory principles for developing

local or national approaches to

tackling health-care waste

management and transposing these

into practical plans for regions and

individual health-care facilities;

specific methods and technologies for

waste minimization, segregation and

treatment of health-care wastes. A

wider range of information has been

incorporated into this publication,

including the health-care waste

management in emergencies and an

overview of the emerging issues of

pandemics, drug-resistant pathogens,

climate change and technology

advances in medical techniques that

will have to be accommodated by

health-care waste systems in the

future.

Citation: Safe Management of Wastes

from Health-care Activities (2nd

edition), 2014, World Health

Organization.