Technical Guidelines for the Environmentally Sound Management of Wastes Consisting of, Containing or Contaminated with Mercury – 5th Draft

The present technical guidelines focus on mercury-containing wastes (Y29 Mercury; mercury compounds in Annex I of the Basel Convention) and follow the decision VIII/33 of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, namely the programme to support the implementation of the Strategic Plan focus area: B9 mercury waste. In addition, by the decision IX/15 of COP9, the parties decided to continue developing “Technical guidelines on the environmentally sound management of mercury wastes”. The guidelines provide guidance for the environmentally sound management (ESM) of mercury waste and give comprehensive information about mercury waste, including the chemistry and toxicology of mercury, and source of mercury and mercury waste. These guidelines also present knowledge and expertise on ESM of mercury waste and provisions for mercury waste under international legal instruments.