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A Toxics-Free Future

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Basel Convention OEWG-14

Photo by IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou

The fourteenth meeting of the Basel Convention Open-ended Working Group takes place from Tuesday, 25 June to Friday, 28 June 2024. See information on the meeting from UNEP here.

IPEN's Opening Intervention

Presented by Lee Bell, IPEN Technical and Policy Advisor, June 26, 2024

Thank you Madam Co-Chair,

I speak on behalf of the International Pollutants Elimination Network, consisting of 600 public interest NGOs in more than 125 countries, working towards a toxics free future.

At this OEWG there are a range of important issues to consider, including the need to strengthen technical guidelines on a range of problematic hazardous wastes. IPEN has been contributing to all the guidelines to help ensure that they serve their purpose to protect human health and the environment, including the right to a safe and healthy working environment. 

For the waste tyre guidance, we see that information on the chemical composition of tyres and their hazardous properties still need to be added. Improvements are needed to ensure that the impacts of hazardous chemicals in tyres are managed throughout any recycling or disposal operations, including toxic chemicals generated by these operations. 

The POPs waste guidance and the establishment of provisional Low POP Content levels is very important for protection of human health and the environment from the negative impact of POP waste exposure. IPEN has produced many studies showing that the Low POP Content level for several POPS, including dioxin, is currently too weak and allowing unacceptable levels of environmental contamination to occur. We would encourage delegates to move this issue forward and establish LPCL values for dioxin and other POPs that are more protective. 

The technical guidance on both waste lead acid batteries and other batteries has been improved but there is room for further improvements particularly in relation to site contamination and worker protection. We would strongly encourage engaging with experts at ILO and Labour Unions on this, as well as the occupational safety and health aspects of all the guidelines. 

Finally, IPEN would ask delegates to give greater consideration of the international trade in plastic waste to address the ‘hidden’ plastic wastes that are currently overlooked and misclassified leading to illegal shipments that undermine the intent of the convention. These include refuse derived fuel, textile wastes and the classification of paper waste bales all of which contain significant levels of plastic waste yet are not subject to the plastic waste amendments under the current arrangements. The work on the review of annexes may also provide an opportunity for improvement in the management of these wastes.

Thank you.


Intervention on further consideration of plastic waste

Presented by Sara Brosché, IPEN Science Advisor, June 26, 2024 

Thank you madam Co-chair, 

IPEN appreciates the important work done on plastic wastes under the Basel Convention, including adoption of the plastic waste amendments. 

We strongly support intersessional work to identify measures that can be taken to further improve the effectiveness of implementing these amendments, noting the widespread, ongoing harm to human health and the environment from these wastes. 

As highlighted by IPEN during the previous agenda item, we believe it is very important to include work on already known problematic and hazardous waste streams that is currently not properly controlled, such as Refuse Derived Fuels, textiles and paper bales. This should also include identifying and closing loopholes on plastics-related wastes such as e-waste. 

In addition, the intersessional work should have a broad scope to identify additional waste streams that need further guidance and controls under the Convention, and include options for effectively addressing the hazardous chemicals contained in plastic wastes. 

Thank you. 


Intervention on national reporting

Presented by Lee Bell, IPEN Technical and Policy Advisor, June 26, 2024

Thankyou Madam Co-Chair

IPEN would like draw the attention of delegates to INF 29 ‘’ Report reviewing the information provided in tables 4 and 5 of the national reports for the years 2020 and 2021” which summarises concerns about the use of a multitude of HS codes and Basel Y codes to describe TBM of a specific waste stream. The concern is that parties are interpreting and applying various Y codes and HS codes to the same type of waste shipments  due to a lack of clarity from some of the Y and HS codes being too broad or narrow causing confusion in reporting and tracking these wastes.

One of these waste streams is Refuse Derived Fuel. Which has been recorded under numerous waste codes including Y46 household waste, Y48 mixed plastics and various HS codes. The document notes that the RDF transboundary movement stream is significant and growing beyond 1.5 million tonnes per year. IPEN shares the concern of the authors of INF 29 and supports their recommendation to Review whether there may be benefits in adding a new waste code for refuse derived fuel (RDF); as part of the review of annexes process and inventory development. 

Finally, IPEN believes that a new specific waste code or clarification of a single existing  waste code for RDF, such as Y48 – reflecting the hazardous plastic constituents of RDF, should be considered. The use of Y46 household waste by some parties does not accurately reflect the hazardous nature of RDF which also  contains industrial and commercial plastic wastes. Consideration should also be given to add Refuse Derived fuel  to the inventory development process.

Thank you Madam Co-Chair 


 

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