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The Methodology for the Identification and Classification of Hazardous Wastes approved by the Minister of the Environment and the related changes to the Waste Management Regulations are launched. These regulations lay down the procedure for assessing the hazardous properties of waste, identifying these properties and classifying waste as hazardous waste.
 

The Methodology sets out a structure of stages for the assessment of the hazardous properties of waste and the classification of waste, with three stages for the assessment of the hazardous properties of waste and the classification of waste. The methodology has been developed taking into account the provisions of European Union and national legislation.
 

On the basis of this legislation, an electronic tool has been developed for the use of residents and businesses, so that from now on, using a phone or a computer, it will be possible to easily and quickly find information on the correct identification of hazardous waste and on the proper management of hazardous waste in future.
 

In order to extend and promote the use of the developed e-tool, the Ministry of the Environment has made the open source code of the e-tool publicly available on a dedicated website. It is hoped that this will lead to a wider use and application of the tool in practice, which will facilitate the identification of hazardous waste and encourage its proper management.
 

The legislation and the e-tool have been developed in response to expert suggestions made in a study commissioned by the Ministry of the Environment on a common methodology for identifying hazardous waste. The study was prepared with the aim of creating a level playing field for the correct and unified application of national and European Union legislation on waste classification, thereby ensuring the correct and efficient identification and classification of hazardous waste and the safe and efficient collection and management of hazardous waste.
 

Hazardous waste in Lithuania generates on average 167 000 tonnes of hazardous waste annually and its management is a critical issue. Sometimes this waste is not properly identified, which does not ensure the efficient collection and management of the waste generated. Improperly managed hazardous waste can contaminate soil, leach into groundwater, and harm the environment and human health.
 

Under current legislation, businesses are responsible for identifying waste and classifying it as hazardous or non-hazardous. Lack of expertise and information risks that waste may be identified as non-hazardous. Problems arise for the environmental authorities exercising state control over environmental protection in identifying waste and classifying it as hazardous or non-hazardous, leading to disputes in practice as to the correct and unified application of national and European Union legislation on waste classification.
 

It is expected that the correct and unified application of national and EU legislation on waste classification will reduce disputes between businesses and environmental authorities, reduce cases of misidentification and misclassification of waste, and make the management of hazardous waste easier and more efficient.
 

The electronic hazardous waste identification and classification tool has been developed by the Haz-ident project, funded by the Norwegian Financial Mechanism's Environment, Energy, Climate Change Programme. 

 

For more information on the projects under the Environment, Energy, Climate Change Programme, click here. 
 

The total amount allocated to the Environment, Energy, Climate Change Programme is €14.12 million, of which €12 million from the Norwegian Financial Mechanism. The implementation of the projects is supervised by the Central Project Management Agency (CPVA).