Hazardous waste - Waste characteristics

Definition and origin

In Austria, hazardous waste is regulated by the List of Wastes Ordinance, Federal Law Gazette II No. 570/2003 as amended by Federal Law Gazette II No. 89/2005.

According to §4 of the List of Wastes Ordinance, the following are classified as hazardous waste:

1. Waste expressly listed as hazardous in the above-mentioned lists. By 31 December 2008, the authoritative lists are those in Annex 5 of the List of Wastes Ordinance, ÖNORM S 2100 “Waste catalogue”, published on 1 September 1997, and ÖNORM S 2100/AC 1 “Waste catalogue (amendment)”, published on 1 January 1998.
   
   ÖNORM S 2100 “Waste directory”, with the current code numbers, was revised and reissued on 1 October 2005. It includes all hazardous waste contained in the above-mentioned lists.
   
   Starting on 1 January 2009, there will be a transition to the nomenclature of the European Waste Catalogue. From that then on, all items marked with an asterisk in Annex 1 of the List of Wastes Ordinance will be considered hazardous waste.
   
   
2. All waste that contains hazardous substances or is mixed with such substances in such a way those risk-relevant properties cannot be ruled out through a simple assessment, such as an evaluation of the maximum percentage by weight of toxic substances.
   
   
3. Certain types of excavated material:
   
   Excavated material from industrial sites that handle soil- or water-polluting substances making it reasonable to assume that the material is “hazard-relevant” as defined by Annex 3 of the List of Wastes Ordinance (e.g., in the case of operations involving metal or mineral oil processing, filling stations, dry cleaners, chemicals industry, gasworks or contaminated waste sites); this applies to all areas of the site in which such substances are handled;
   
   Excavated material from sites that are not covered by paragraph 1 if contamination becomes apparent in the course of the excavation or removal activities and it is reasonable to assume that the material is “hazard-relevant” as defined by Annex 3 of the List of Wastes Ordinance;
   
   Excavated material, if it is reasonable to assume that, by reason of contamination caused by an operational incident or accident, the waste is “hazard-relevant” as defined by Annex 3 of the List of Wastes Ordinance;
   
   Excavated material that is not covered by the above paragraphs if chemical analysis reveals that the waste is so contaminated that it is at least “hazard-relevant” as defined by Annex 3 of the List of Wastes Ordinance.
   
   
4. Waste that was once classified as hazardous and subsequently consolidated (i.e., firmly bonded in a matrix) may be declassified for the sole purpose of landfilling and is considered non-hazardous waste if properly accepted and declared at the landfill.

Downloads

• Abfallverzeichnisverordnung, BGBl. II Nr. 570/2003 idF BGBl. II Nr. 89/2005, (PDF 469,82 kB )

27.10.2006, Lebensministerium VI/3