National definition of waste used for the purpose of transboundary movements of waste exists in Norway.
Pollution Control Act, Chapter 5 On waste, § 27 Definitions, first paragraph: “For the purpose of this Act, the term waste means discarded objects of personal property or substances. Surplus objects and substances from service industries, manufacturing industries and treatment plants, etc., are also considered to be waste. Waste water and exhaust gases are not considered to be waste.”
Section 27 also contains three more paragraphs, including definitions of household waste, industrial waste, and special waste (including hazardous waste).
National definition of hazardous waste used for the purpose of transboundary movements of waste exists in Norway.
According to the Norwegian regulation on hazardous waste, hazardous waste means waste that cannot appropriately be treated together with household waste or similar industrial waste because it may cause serious pollution or involve a risk of injury to people and animals.
Norway regulates/controls additional wastes as hazardous that are not included in Art. 1 (1)a of the Basel Convention and would be controlled for the purpose of transboundary movements pursuant to Art. 1 (1)b.
Norway has implemented the EU Council Regulation (EEC) No 259/93 with its attached waste lists, e.g. those in Annex V, which in Part 1 contains List A and List B from Annex VIII and IX to the Basel Convention.
In Norway there are no wastes other than those pursuant to Art. 1 (1)a and/or Art. 1 (1)b of the Basel Convention that require special consideration when subjected to transboundary movement.
Restrictions on Transboundary Movement
Amendment to the Basel Convention
The amendment to the Basel Convention (Decision III/1) has been implemented in Norway.
Restrictions on export for final disposal and for recovery
Norway restricts the export of hazardous wastes and other wastes for final disposal and for recovery.
The Norwegian regulation of 30 December 1994 on transboundary movement of waste, implementing EU Regulation no. 259/93, was amended 1 April 2003. The amendments include country lists taken from the two EU Regulations 1420/1999 and 1547/1999.
Restriction on export for final disposal covers non-OECD countries.
Restriction on export for recovery covers EU and non-OECD countries.
Restrictions on transit, import for final disposal and for recovery
Norway restricts the transit, import of hazardous wastes and other wastes for final disposal and for recovery. The Norwegian regulation of 30 December 1994 on transboundary movement of waste, implementing EU Regulation no. 259/93, was amended 1 April 2003. The amendments include country lists taken from the two EU Regulations 1420/1999 and 1547/1999.
The restrictions apply to all states except members of OECD, EC and Liechtenstein, see annex VII of the Basel Convention.
Norway may give consents for import of waste for disposal, mainly landfilling, but normally only to waste originating from Nordic countries.
The restrictions apply to all states except members of OECD, EC and Liechtenstein, see annex VII of the Basel Convention.
Norway is not a natural transit country for the great part of the waste shipments.
Reduction and/or Elimination of Hazardous Waste Generation
National strategies/policies
No specific measures are taken to reduce the amount of hazardous wastes which are generated.
National policies are focused on collection and disposal of hazardous wastes to avoid that hazardous waste are spread in nature or disposed together with non-hazardous waste, thus causing potential pollution.
Legislation, regulations and guidelines
The Pollution Control Act, and the waste regulation on hazardous waste, are the two main legislation documents on hazardous waste.
Several other regulations concern specific types of hazardous waste and associated problems, e.g. batteries, waste oil, oily water, photographic chemicals, amalgam, PCBs, CFCs, fire and explosion hazards, chemicals in general, warning labels and health, and environmental and safety activities in enterprises (internal control).
Economic instruments/ initiatives
Taxes or deposits are imposed on products that will generate hazardous waste, such as lubrication oil, trichloroethylene, and perchloroethene.
Refunds are provided when some types of hazardous waste are delivered to approved facilities, concerning waste oil, trichloroethylene, and insulated glass units containing PCB.
Measures taken by industries/waste generators
The industrial batteries importers have developed a return scheme for used lead accumulators.
In accordance to an agreement with the Ministry of the Environment, the industries producing insulated glass units and windows developed a return scheme for discarded insulated glass units containing PCB in 2002. The scheme was financed by a subvention from the Ministry, and in 2003 by a charge on new windows.
Others
The hazardous waste regulation demands registration (declaration) of all hazardous waste when delivered by enterprises to firms authorized for handling such waste.
Transboundary Movement Reduction Measures
National strategies/policies
The Norwegian goal is for treatment and disposal of hazardous waste is that practically all hazardous waste is to be dealt with in an appropriate way, so that it is either recycled or sufficient treatment capacity is provided within Norway.
Disposal/
Recovery Facilities
Disposal facilities
A list of facilities for recovery or disposal of hazardous waste can be found (in Norwegian) on http://www.sft.no/arbeidsomr/avfall/spesialavfall/Innsamlere.html
Recovery/recycling/re-use facilities
Some facilities which import waste as raw material are not registered in the list above.
A list of facilities for recovery or disposal of hazardous waste can be found (in Norwegian) on http://www.sft.no/arbeidsomr/avfall/spesialavfall/Innsamlere.html
Bilateral, Multilateral or Regional Agreements
Multilateral agreement; OECD Decision C(92)39/FINAL on the Control of Transfrontier Movements of Wastes Destined for Recovery Operations (30 March 1992); OECD Member Countries; 30.03.1992 -
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