Waste characterisation

The Technical Committee CEN/TC 292 "Characterisation of waste" has been set up in 1991 to standardise the procedures to determine the characteristics of waste and waste behaviour, especially leaching properties. It also seeks to standardise terminology. The general lack of clarity in the interpretation of the term "waste" gives rise to serious problems. Waste management decisions as well as trans-national transport regulations are based on characteristics of the waste (concentration of pollutants, short and long term behaviour, etc.) Standardisation in this field is therefore important.

The characterisation of waste is linked to several EU pieces of legislation: the Waste framework directive of July 1975, the European Waste Catalogue (established in December 1993), the Hazardous Waste Directive of 1991, the Hazardous Waste list (established in December 1994), the Incineration Directives of December 1994 (on hazardous waste) and June 1989 (on non-hasardous waste), the Landfill of Waste Directive of April 1999. In particular, the Council Decision of 19th December 2002 (pursuant to Article 16 and Annex II of the "Landfill Directive") lists available sampling and test methods and states that the list will be amended when more CEN Standards are available.

ECOS has been sending experts to the TC 292 since 2003. They particularly insisted on getting a stringent method for assesing leaching of waste, in order to avoid toxic materials to be burnt or stored in landfills with environmental impacts.