Hazardous Waste Management
Hazardous wastes are defined under the Environment Protection Act and listed under the Environment Protection (Standards for Hazardous Wastes) Regulations 2001. Hazardous wastes are wastes that have the potential to cause harm or damage to human health and the environment due to their hazardous properties. They include laboratory and industrial chemical wastes (acids, alkalis, heavy metals, spent organic solvents, organic sludges), paint wastes, used batteries, asbestos wastes, waste oils, obsolete pesticides, pharmaceutical wastes, gas cylinders and waste aerosols, electrical and electronic wastes (e-wastes), amongst others.
As compared to solid wastes, where an average of 540,000 tonnes are generated annually and disposed of at the Mare Chicose landfill, it is estimated that an average of 17,000 tonnes of hazardous wastes are generated annually out of which around 10% comprising laboratory and industrial chemical wastes, paint wastes, obsolete pesticides, pharmaceutical wastes, gas cylinders and waste aerosols, cannot be disposed of locally.
Mauritius being Party to both Basel and Bamako Conventions since 1992, global and regional treaties dealing with hazardous wastes, has to ensure that it takes all practicable steps so that hazardous wastes generated on the island are managed in a manner which will protect human health and the environment against the adverse effects which may result from such wastes.
With a view to ensuring compliance to our international obligations and also in its capacity as enforcing agency for hazardous wastes, an interim hazardous waste storage facility at La Chaumière has been set up and is operational since April 2017. Hazardous wastes that cannot be treated and disposed on the island are tested, collected, sorted, pre-treated (if possible), regrouped, re-packaged, labeled, stored and exported to licensed recovery/treatment/ disposal facilities.
Provision of the Environment Protection Regulation 2001.
The Ministry is the Enforcing Agency for hazardous wastes as per the Environment Protection (Standards for hazardous wastes) Regulations 2001.
The Environment Protection (Standards for hazardous wastes) Regulations 2001 make provision, among others, for hazardous waste generators to:-
1. Make an inventory of the hazardous wastes they generate as per the Regulations;
2. Report on the above inventory on a quarterly basis to the enforcing agency;
3. Seek approval from the Ministry for the use of any store, warehouse or other premises for the storage of a container or package containing hazardous wastes within the premises;
4. Classify, pack and label their hazardous waste as prescribed in the Regulations; and
5. Fill in consignment notes confirming the hazardous wastes generated leave their premises for disposal.
PROCEDURES FOR DISPOSAL OF HAZARDOUS WASTES.
Disposal request through the computerized hazardous wastes management system.
(https://hwc.polyecogroup.com/Producers/login).
Government has approved the payment of a disposal fee of Rs 100 per kilogram of hazardous wastes (inclusive of VAT) and an additional fee of Rs 2500 (inclusive of VAT) for quantity of hazardous wastes exceeding one tonne by hazardous wastes generators.
Upon commitment from generators to pay for the disposal of their hazardous wastes. an assessment visit is scheduled. Following the assessment visit, the generator is informed of the fee to be paid to the Ministry for the disposal of hazardous wastes based on an estimated weight of the wastes assessed.
Once the disposal fee is received by the Ministry, collection of the hazardous wastes will then be scheduled. Please note that the exact weight of the hazardous wastes received is then communicated to the generator for any additional payment that may be required.
For queries, you may contact our Contractor on hwa@polyecogroup.com or 4522162.
PROCEDURES FOR DISPOSAL OF ASBESTOS WASTES AT THE MARE CHICOSE LANDFILL
1. An official request must be made to the Solid Waste Management Division, Ministry of Social Security, National Solidarity and Environment and Sustainable Development, 10th Floor, Emmanuel Anquetil Building, Corner SSR & Jules Koenig Streets, Port Louis (Fax No.: 230 213 0654) for the disposal of asbestos wastes at the Mare Chicose landfill, specifying the weight to be disposed of.
2. The Solid Waste Management Division will examine the request and give its approval in writing for the disposal of the asbestos wastes at the Mare Chicose landfill and provide consignment notes to be filled by the generator of the asbestos wastes, carrier and operator of the disposal site. The completed consignment notes need to be returned to the Solid Waste Management Division.
3. Payment of a fee of Rs 850 per tonne of asbestos wastes should be effected, either by an office cheque in favour of the Government of Mauritius or paid by cash to the Finance Section of the Ministry of Social Security, National Solidarity and Environment and Sustainable Development (Environment and Sustainable Development Division) (Level 12, Ken Lee Tower, Barracks Street, Port Louis) prior to effecting the disposal of the asbestos wastes at the landfill.
4. Once payment has been made, disposal of the asbestos wastes may be effected at the Mare Chicose landfill. The Landfill Operator (Tel: 633 6293) should be given prior notice of at least 48 hours to the exact date of disposal in order to plan the on-site arrangements for disposing of the asbestos wastes.
5. If the asbestos wastes are in the form of sheets and wools/laggings, they should be packaged in polyethene sheets of minimum thickness 0.23 mm. An overlapping of at least 30 cm shall be ensured between any two wrapping sheets. The plastic wrapping sheets shall be firmly sealed with an appropriate adhesive tape to prevent the escape of airborne fibres during handling, transportation and disposal.
6. Other crumbled debris and wools of small size containing asbestos shall be collected and placed in thick plastic bags which shall be sealed with an appropriate adhesive tape to prevent the escape of airborne fibres during handling, transportation and disposal.
7. A waste carrier shall be used to convey the asbestos wastes to the landfill.
8. The asbestos wastes shall be stacked in a lorry of such bin capacity that is not more than ¾ full and transported to the Mare Chicose Landfill.
9. Upon reception at the landfill, the consignment of asbestos wastes will be inspected to ensure that it has been properly lagged or that there has been no damage/puncture to the lagging during handling and transportation.
10. At the tipping platform, end tipping of asbestos wastes is not allowed. The consignment has to be unloaded by hand into the bucket of the loader at the landfill.
11. All persons involved in the packaging, handling, transportation and disposal of the asbestos wastes should wear appropriate personal protective equipment.