1.6 Waste flows and strategic challenges

1.6(1)
In seeking to understand the main waste flows and the national waste balance, we are constrained by the existing data, which is in most cases unreliable, and in many cases, data originating from different sources is contradictory. Improving reporting standards at each level of the hierarchy of waste management is a priority challenge for the NWMS.

1.6(2)
Scientific understanding of the environmental hazards associated with waste flows has made significant advances in recent years. As a result, methods of disposing waste streams that were considered appropriate 20 years ago are in some cases now recognised as problematic.

1.6(3)
The overarching challenge of the NWMS is to address the growing pressure on outdated waste management infrastructure while at the same time improving the management standards that apply to particular waste flows. Specific categories of waste and the challenges associated with them are considered in more detail below.