Waste from manufacturing industries, 1999

Hazardous waste means waste that for practical reasons cannot be handled with consumer waste due to its size or because it can cause serious pollution or risk of injury to people or animals.

The final figures show that in 1999, manufacturing industries generated a total of 438 301 tonnes of hazardous waste, against 417 507 tonnes in 1996. The figures for 1996 are revised figures. In 1993 the figure was 320 282 tonnes. Inorganic acids accounted for 47 per cent of hazardous waste in 1999, and slag, dust, fly ash, blasting sand and the like 28 per cent.

Improved reporting routines in the companies and an expanded definition of what is hazardous waste can explain part of the increase.

The largest companies with more than 100 employees accounted for 95 per cent of all hazardous waste.

Most in chemical industry

The chemical industry accounts for 54 per cent of the quantities of hazardous waste in manufacturing industries, with all of 236 000 tonnes. The basic metal and metal products industries followed with 159 000 tonnes. These industries alone accounted for 90 per cent of the hazardous waste occurring in industry. The same was seen in 1993 and 1996.

Hazardous waste in the chemical industry basically consists of strong acids, which made up 203 000 tonnes. The basic metal and metal products industries generate large quantities of slag, dust, fly ash, blasting sand and the like, 112 000 tons in 1999.

Most goes to approved reception centres

All companies that want to handle hazardous waste must have a license from the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority. This applies whether they want to handle their own hazardous waste or receive hazardous waste from other companies. Companies that have been licensed to accept hazardous waste are called approved reception centres. The quantity of industrial hazardous waste delivered to approved reception centres was 280 000 tonnes in 1999, or 64 per cent. The corresponding quantity in 1996 was 273 000 tonnes, or 68 per cent. Of the 280 000 tonnes, the chemical industry alone accounts for 212 000 tonnes, of which 203 000 tonnes are strong acids. Consequently, just under 80 000 tonnes, or 27 per cent, of the remainder of the hazardous waste is delivered via approved reception centres. The fact that hazardous waste is not delivered to approved reception centres does not mean that it is beyond control. Most is treated in an approved way at the company where it occurred.

It is a national policy goal for all hazardous waste to undergo proper treatment. To achieve this goal, the authorities and businesses and industries have built a national system for collecting and treating hazardous waste. Norsas AS administrates this system on behalf of the authorities. In this connection, they also compile statistics on the hazardous waste handled in the system. However, Statistics Norways and Norsas figures on hazardous waste treatment in 1999 cannot be compared because Norsas statistics require considerable processing before they can be broken down by industry. Moreover, for administrative reasons, some hazardous waste is not included in Norsas statistics, but is included in Statistics Norways survey.

Most in-house handled waste goes to landfills

Some companies are licensed to handle the hazardous waste they produce. The figures from the survey show that 148 000 tonnes of hazardous waste were handled on-site in 1999, of which 100 000 tonnes were dumped in landfills. Most of this consists of slag, dust and fly ash. The basic metals industry accounts for 98 per cent of the hazardous waste dumped in landfills. By Norsas count, 110 000 tonnes were handled in-house by companies in 1999, and here again the deviations can be due to methodical differences.

Nearly 8 000 tonnes of hazardous waste were exported to other countries. This consisted mostly of organic waste without halogen, and slag, dust, fly ash, blasting sand and the like. Exports of hazardous waste are not registered in Statistics Norways surveys from 1993 and 1996, but are included under on-site treatment.

Little to unknown treatment

A total of 31 000 tonnes went to other treatment including neutralization, destruction and unknown treatment. For example, inorganic salts and inorganic bases were used in neutralization. Some electronic and electric waste that is reused or returned to installers or suppliers is listed under other treatment.

Change since 1996

The classification system for hazardous waste groups has been changed since 1996. This has made it difficult to do comparisons between the various years on individual materials. For example, it appears that the quantity of used oil and other waste oil has declined, while at the same time there are large quantities of organic waste with and without halogen that may contain waste oil. However, we see that the groups that were large in 1996 are also large now.

Towards the end of the year Statistics Norway will release new statistics on quantities of hazardous waste in Norway as well as unaccounted for hazardous waste.