The term “asbestos” means a family of naturally occurring fibrous minerals. In the past, asbestos was widely used in myriad products owing to its exceptional heat and chemical resistance, whereby white asbestos (chrysotil asbestos) and blue asbestos (crocidolie asbestos) were the types most commonly used.
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are a worldwide problem. PCB, which is a POP, has not been used in Germany for years and only occurs in certain wastes.
The term “hazardous waste” refers to various types of waste with defined hazardous properties that are harmful for the environment and/or human health. Hazardous waste must be handled using special techniques and processes that ensure safe and environmentally sound disposal by elimination of the hazardous substances contained in the waste.
Laws and regulations concerning transfrontier shipment of waste are based on the Basel Convention. The EU has transposed the procedural rules of Basel Convetion into directly applicable European legislation taking into account OECD Council Decision C(92)39/ FINAL.
As late as the mid 1970s, hazardous waste has been disposed of illegally in Germany and abroad. This scandalous situation prompted a worldwide desire to ban or control transfrontier waste shipments. The ensuing lengthy political process resulted in a complex system of regulations at the national, European and international level.
