Hazardous waste, 2012

Improved collection and reporting are assumed to be the main reasons for this increase. Furthermore, some waste types have been reclassified as hazardous throughout the time series. It is a political goal for as much as possible of the hazardous waste to be subject to proper treatment in order to avoid harming people and the environment.

Oil and heavy metal-containing waste dominate

Oil-containing waste – totalling 540 000 tonnes – makes up the largest fraction of hazardous waste in 2012. This includes, among other things, waste from oil drilling activities on the Norwegian shelf. The second largest is heavy metal-containing waste, totalling 360 000 tonnes. The majority of this was slag from manufacturing, but also impregnated wood, batteries and used sand from grit blasting.

95 per cent to approved treatment

The statistics provide figures for the amounts of hazardous waste sent for both approved treatment  and unknown treatment . For 2012 the amount of unknown treatment totalled 60 000 tonnes. In connection with the 1.2 million tonnes receiving approved treatment, this means that 95 per cent of hazardous waste was treated at approved facilities, according to estimations. This is a 1 per cent increase compared to the year before.

Around 35 per cent of the approved waste treatment was recovered, i.e. either recycled (17 per cent) or energy recovered (18 per cent). The remaining 65 per cent was disposed of, which mainly entails the waste being stabilised through chemical or physical pre-treatment and stored at specially-designed landfills. Treatment abroad is included in these figures, but stock changes are not.

Increased export and decreased import of hazardous waste

Norway received 270 000 tonnes of hazardous waste from foreign countries in 2012, down 30 per cent from the previous year. Simultaneously, the exported amount increased by 60 per cent to 290 000 tonnes. Imports are dominated by waste containing heavy metals and polluted mineral matter destined for landfilling in Norway. Exports, on the other side, constitute mainly of various types of oil-containing hazardous waste, process water and heavy metal-containing waste.

The import and export of hazardous waste requires approval from the authorities in order to ensure proper treatment in the receiving country.

490 000 tonnes from manufacturing

Manufacturing industries sent 490 000 tonnes of hazardous waste for approved treatment in 2012, including treatment in their own facilities. This makes up around 40 per cent of all hazardous waste in Norway. Another main contributor - with almost 460 000 tonnes - is the mining and quarrying industry, which includes oil extraction activities.

Households accounted for around 39 000 tonnes of hazardous waste sent for approved treatment in 2012. Impregnated wood, paint residues and waste oil constitute the main components.

Less hazardous waste from Svalbard

The amount of hazardous waste from Svalbard varies from year to year. In recent years, between 100 and 300 tonnes of hazardous waste have been sent annually for approved treatment. In 2012, the amount was 160 tonnes, of which almost 80 per cent was made up of oil-containing waste. Hazardous waste from Svalbard is transported to the mainland for treatment there.