Ross Bartley,

1

OECD work on Environmentally Sound Management -
Core Performance Elements - Environmental
Management Systems -

• Ross Bartley,
• Environmental Technical Director,
• Bureau of International Recycling
• WWW.BIR.ORG

2
OECD

• 30 industrialised Countries are members of the
  Organisation of Economic Co-operation and
  Development
• Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech
  Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,
  Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan,
  Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New
  Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak
  Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey,
  United Kingdom, United States.

3
OECD

• OECD Working Group on Waste Management Policy is
  famous for its..
• ..Green Amber and Red list system for
  Transboundary movements of Waste (this 10 year
  old system was changed last year to harmonise
  with the Basel Convention), and for..
• ..promoting Extended Producer Responsibility
  Systems for management of End-of-life Vehicles,
  Electrical Electronic Equipment Packaging
  waste
• OECD Working Group on Waste Management Policy
  (WGWMP) recently changed its name to the Working
  Group on Waste Prevention and Recycling (WGWPR)
  and also changed its focus

4
OECD

• The OECD had focussed on developing and
  promulgating international policies to promote
  the Environmentally Sound Management of wastes
  since the early 1980s.
• Recently they recognised that the level of
  environmental safety varies widely within
  recovery facilities, and even within the OECD
  Member countries.
• In 1999 they started to work on international
  ESM guidelines, to-
• ..improve the environmental performance of OECD
  recovery facilities
• and
• ..design the program for both domestic and
  transboundary applications.

5
OECD workshops on Environmentally Sound
Management of Wastes Destined for Recovery
Operations (ESM)

• The third OECD workshop on Environmentally Sound
  Management of Wastes Destined for Recovery
  Operations (ESM) took place in Washington 20-22
  March 2002.
• Previous Workshops had taken place in September
  2000 in Austria, and in October 1999 in Mexico.
• The Bureau of International Recycling has been
  represented in these Workshops throughout.

6
OECD Environmentally Sound Management of Wastes
Destined for Recovery Operations (ESM)

• The OECD ESM framework has two basic components
• One components to focus on using existing
  Environmental Management Systems (EMS), such as
  ISO 14001 / EMAS
• Another component to consist of Core performance
  elements, to be used in conjunction with an EMS

7
OECD Environmentally Sound Management of Wastes
Destined for Recovery Operations (ESM)

• The core performance elements may be applied to
  all recovery and closely related facilities,
  covering collection, reuse, recovery and disposal
  of residues of all wastes.... and used and scrap
  materials.
• More specific waste stream orientated ESM
  guidelines may be needed for certain problematic
  waste/or material streams (e.g. for personal
  computers).

8
OECD ESM Core Performance Elements

• Core Performance Elements (Government competence)
• 1. Adequate Regulatory Infrastructure and
  Enforcement should exist to ensure compliance
  with applicable regulations
• 2. The Recovery Facility should be Authorised
• Core Performance Elements (Facility competence)
  The recovery facility should ...
• 3. take adequate measures to safeguard
  Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety
• 4. have an applicable Environmental Management
  System (EMS) in place
• 5. have an operative Monitoring, Recording and
  Reporting programme
• 6. have an appropriate and operative Training
  Programme for the Personnel
• 7. have an Information Exchange Programme to
  Optimise Recovery
• 8. have a verified Emergency Plan.
• 9. have a plan for Closure and After-care

9
What next?

• OECD WGWPR is considering how to go forward with
  its Core Performance elements and its promotion
  of Environmental Management Systems such as ISO
  14001 and EMAS.
• ...by using a Council Decision or
  Recommendation
• or by some other means ?

10
What is the likely result?

• The likely result is that Companies that treat,
  re-use, recover and recycle wastes will be
  encouraged to attain the Core Performance
  Elements within their competence and to attain
  ISO 14001 / EMAS accreditation, or parts of
  these.
• Whilst much of this work stems from Government
  decisions made over ten years ago, pointing in
  this direction, the detailed route now being laid
  out does show Governments have recognised the
  difficulties faced by small and micro enterprises
  and the need for certain voluntary elements in
  the ESM system so it can be tailored to fit the
  wide range of Companies in the sector.