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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
Time: 10:37 pm
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Results for illegal dumping
11 results foundAuthor: White, Rob Title: The Policing Hazardous Waste Research Project Summary: This research project involves a scoping of the extent of and problems associated with hazardous waste disposal and a review of national environmental enforcement agencies and practices in Australia, with a view to building capacity for agency collaboration. The specific exemplar for this process is the policing of hazardous waste disposal. The major focus of this study is to examine how Australia regulates and polices the disposal of hazardous waste. The project has released the following briefing papers: The Policing Hazardous Waste Research Project; Whas is Hazardous Waste and What Makes it Hazardous?; Key Vulnerabilities & Limitations in the Management of Hazardous Waste and Its Disposal; Hazardous Waste in Australia: What is the Scale of the Problem?; Prosecution and Penalties for Illegal Dumping of Hazardous Waste; Legislation, Regulatory Models and Approaches to Compliance and Enforcement; and Policing Hazardous Waste Disposal: Key Trends and Issues. Details: Hobart: School of Sociology and Social Work, University of Tasmania, 2011-12. 7 Briefing Papers. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 15, 2013 at: http://www.utas.edu.au/sociology-social-work/centres/criminology-research-unit/ Year: 2011 Country: Australia URL: http://www.utas.edu.au/sociology-social-work/centres/criminology-research-unit/ Shelf Number: 127639 Keywords: Environmental CrimesHazardous Waste (Australia)Illegal DumpingOffenses Against the Environment |
Author: Ohlenschlaeger, Jens Peter Title: Reducing ship generated marine litter - recommendations to improve the EU port reception facilities directive Summary: Marine litter is an increasing threat to the health of European and global marine ecosystems, with costly environmental, economic and social consequences. One of the sources to this pollution comes from ships, which legally or illegally discharge their solid waste (waste) into the sea.The EU Port Reception Facilities (PRF) Directive (2000/59/EC) regulates how ships discharge their waste to port reception facilities in the EU. The PRF Directive pursues the same aim as the MARPOL Convention, namely to reduce the amount of pollution in seas and coastlines of Member States caused by ship generated waste and cargo residues discharged into the sea by shipping. The Directive came into force in 2002 and an EMSA study published in 2012 has shown an increase in waste delivery to Member State ports since then. Despite this increase, illegal discharges of ship generated waste into the sea still take place. There are several explanations for this. These include insufficient control and inspection of the ships, and the difficulties in doing so, and a lack of appropriate economic incentives for waste delivery, or indeed, perverse incentives for waste delivery. Little transparency regarding the operation of the waste handling facilities and a lack of clarity in some ports regarding the role and responsibilities of the various actors involved may also be responsible. It has become apparent that the Directive is not prescriptive enough in these respects and clearer guidelines and stricter requirements would be desirable and beneficial for the ports. This is especially true regarding the cost recovery system, as the Directive leaves a lot of room for interpretation, which has resulted in many different systems being implemented across European ports, thereby creating an uneven playing field and allowing less than optimal systems to be implemented. This study recommends that the Directive should be revised to put a stronger focus on: - The applied cost recovery system (degree of indirect fee); - The efficiency of the waste notification system; - The port authority involvement in ship waste handling (taking responsibility, control and monitoring); - The "one stop shop" approach, and - The inspection regime in the port regarding waste delivery. Details: London: Institute for European Environmental Policy, 2013. 35p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 29, 2015 at: http://www.ieep.eu/assets/1257/IEEP_2013_Reducing_ship_generated_marine_litter_-_recommendations_to_improve_the_PRF_Directive.pdf Year: 2013 Country: International URL: http://www.ieep.eu/assets/1257/IEEP_2013_Reducing_ship_generated_marine_litter_-_recommendations_to_improve_the_PRF_Directive.pdf Shelf Number: 135424 Keywords: Illegal DumpingLitterMaritime CrimeOffenses Against the EnvironmentPollution |
Author: Kamau, Irungu Simon Title: Actors in Environmental Crime in City Slums of Kenya: the Case of Illegal Dumping in Mathare Slum of Nairobi Summary: Mathare slum is currently faced with a serious challenge of illegal dumping of waste. Waste poses a threat to public health and the environment if it is not stored, collected and disposed of properly. The main purpose of the study was therefore to investigate the actors in this illegal activity in the area. The study was guided by several objectives namely; To show the existing forms of waste management in Mathare slum; To identify the key actors in illegal dumping of waste in the area; To examine social and economic factors promoting this illegal activity and finally to determine the views of residents on how waste management should be improved. A survey was conducted, where 120 respondents from the area were issued with questionnaires. Six key informants were interviewed with in-depth interviews. Data was then collected and analyzed using quantitative and qualitative techniques. The results of the study revealed that 27.2% of households disposed of their waste in gutters, streets, holes and in the nearby river. In addition, 14.9% burned waste outside their houses. Only a small proportion of the population used proper disposal methods. The study also showed that 63.3% of participants who lived near a dump site claimed it to be inefficient, citing that in many cases, it was overfilled and authorities normally delayed in emptying the dump site. It was also discovered that no respondent had received any training on proper waste disposal from the relevant public authority. However, all respondents were aware that illegal dumping of waste could contribute to disease causation. The study concluded that proper education of the public, the provision of communal trash bins, and frequent collection of waste by the municipal could help prevent exposing the residents to diseases in addition to significantly reducing cases of dumping in the area. Finally, the study recommends a further research to be carried out in other slums possibly in other counties to find out if the same results can be obtained. Details: Nairobi: University of Nairobi, 2016. 86p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed January 27, 2017 at: http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/bitstream/handle/11295/99782/Irungu_Actors%20in%20Environmental%20Crime%20in%20City%20Slums%20of%20Kenya%3b%20the%20Case%20of%20Illegal%20Dumping%20in%20Mathare%20Slum%20of%20Nairobi.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Year: 2016 Country: Kenya URL: http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/bitstream/handle/11295/99782/Irungu_Actors%20in%20Environmental%20Crime%20in%20City%20Slums%20of%20Kenya%3b%20the%20Case%20of%20Illegal%20Dumping%20in%20Mathare%20Slum%20of%20Nairobi.pdf?sequenc Shelf Number: 144926 Keywords: Environmental CrimeIllegal DumpingSlums |
Author: Pushkarna, Natasha Title: Cultivating a Green Conscience in Corporate Culture: China's Approach to Regulating Corporate Environmental Crime Summary: China's accelerated development in the Post-reform era has led to the deterioration of its environment. Unfettered factories have turned the rivers red and poisonous with their unfiltered waste. Unable to ignore the physical consequences in the face of international criticism, China amended its criminal code to specify and bolster its protection of the environment in 2007. Following these changes, the country has continued to evolve its legal conceptions and approaches to corporate environmental crime, including harsh punitive measures with lengthy prison sentences, and even the possibility of the death penalty. This study incorporates the literature from white-collar criminology, green criminology and regulatory theory in its attempt to understand how China is conceptualizing and approaching corporate environmental crime through its legal system. Using a content analysis of court judgments, legislative documents and news media from Jiangsu province, as well as in-depth interviews of professionals knowledgeable about China's environmental issues, this study finds that within the rhetoric is an attempt by the government to urge corporations to consider maintaining a sustainable environment as part of their duty in their operating processes through both cooperative and punitive methods. The conceit of obligation lines up with the collectivist viewpoint advocated under the primary cultural traditions in China-- Confucianism and communism. Local/state corporations are likely entrenched in these traditions and thus, would be more amenable to this line of thinking when considering participation in deviant acts, such as illegal dumping or the smuggling of waste. At this early stage, corporate compliance appears more rote, but within China's larger plans to form a "green" society this green conscience could be cultivated and provide the pathway to a responsive regulatory system for handling corporate environmental crimes. Details: Irvine, CA: University of California, Irvine, 2015. 226p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed May 19, 2018 at: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4t95j471 Year: 2015 Country: China URL: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4t95j471 Shelf Number: 150275 Keywords: Corporate Crime Illegal DumpingOffenses Against the Environmental White-Collar Crime |
Author: Environment Agency (United Kingdom) Title: Novel Approaches to Waste Crime Summary: Executive Summary The European Pathway to Zero Waste (EPOW) programme has eight actions, five of which are led by the Environment Agency and three by WRAP who took over from the South East England Development Agency in April 2011. One of the actions under the programme is assessing and reporting on novel approaches to tackling waste crime which aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of new public sector led approaches to reducing waste crime and supporting new markets for the reuse of recovered materials. This study reports on the outcomes from a pilot of the best novel approaches. Environmental crime is a high priority area for European Member States; tackling the issue are international networks, working groups and organisations that include the European Commission, Interpol, Europol, Member State regulatory agents and a wide range of specific task force groups. These bodies are set up to deliver programmes that address and implement waste crime reduction measures. In its 2011 EU Organised Crime Threat Assessment Report however, Europol notes that "substantial intelligence gaps (in the area of waste crime) preclude comprehensive assessment of organised crime activity in this area". The intelligence on European waste crime notes: - Illegal waste activities within the EU are organised and sophisticated networks with clear division of roles with some organised gangs making billions of Euros per year; - Waste brokers feeding these networks can also be part of and embedded within the legal waste management system, appearing to be operating legitimate businesses; - Complexity in the legal waste management system facilitates rather than prevents criminal activity; and - There are substantial financial burdens borne by affected Member States (e.g. those where the illegal dumping and disposal are occurring), which intelligence suggests to be south-east and eastern Member States plus those countries that share a border with these Member States (e.g. Albania). As a consequence of globalisation, enhanced market development and trade outside the EU, the flow of waste around Europe and outside its borders has become larger, more complex and significantly more costly to police. Rises in the number of conventions, Directives and state laws have, to some degree and with varying success, been instruments to ensure proper re-use, recovery, recycling and disposal of wastes. Waste recovery, management and disposal remains a sector where illegal activity and criminal organisations freely operate, often making large financial gains from their activities to the detriment of legitimate businesses, the common market and society at large. This document, focusing on the reused and recovered waste tyre market, reports on the current size of the EU, UK and South East of England tyre market, followed by a number of public sector led case studies illustrating novel approaches to reducing waste tyre crime. This study has identified that there are several commonly accepted motivators for tyre crime including: financial gain, convenience, opportunism, market dynamics/demand, lack of a threat of being caught and lenient sentences/punishment for offences. The novel approaches identified as part of this study commonly use an intelligence-led approach, whereby data gathered proactively is used to tackle crime on a number of fronts. Novel approaches can involve new partnerships, new approaches and intervention points, sharing of information and multi-agency collaboration, targeting different players in the supply chain and pairing crime enforcement action with awareness raising to stop crime occurring. It also involves mechanisms to support secondary waste market development, tackling one of the key sources - the waste itself - making it a valuable resource rather than a material to discard at lowest cost. The intelligence-led approach is now a widely accepted methodology for profiling organised waste crime and coordinating surveillance, awareness-raising and ultimately building a case for enforcement and prosecution. The case studies examined within this report use this intelligence-led approach to help tackle waste crime - they go beyond reactive policing. The demonstrable advantages of this approach include multi-agency collaboration giving access to pooled resources with greater breadth and depth, sharing intelligence and information to take fast action on emerging crime problems, engaging with and gathering knowledge from the general public and businesses and making decisions on allocating resources where the best outcomes can be anticipated. Details: Reading, UK: Environment Agency, 2012. 66p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 20, 2019 at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/289927/geho0312bwdy-e-e.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/novel-approaches-to-waste-crime Shelf Number: 154277 Keywords: Case StudiesCriminal NetworksEnvironmental CrimeEuropean Pathway to Zero Waste (EPOW)EuropolIllegal DumpingIllegal WasteIntelligence-LedInteragency CollaborationOrganized Crime Threat Assessment ReportSupply ChainTire MarketUnited KingdomWaste CrimeWaste Recovery |
Author: International Solid Waste Association Title: Wasted Health: The Tragic Case of Dumpsites Summary: Dumpsites are a global problem. They receive roughly 40% of the world's waste and they serve about 3.5-4 billion people. The 50 biggest dumpsites affect the daily lives of 64 million people, a population the size of France. As urbanization and population growth will continue, it is expected that at least several hundreds of millions more people will be served by dumpsites, mainly in the developing world. Although there is a lack of systematic long-term epidemiological studies that fully document the health impacts from dumpsites, the existing scientific evidence demonstrates very important health risks. The health problems associated with dumpsites are related to their emissions, which usually involve POPs (persistent organic pollutants), heavy metals and VOCs (volatile organic compounds). The actual health risks depend on the practices followed and on the type of the waste disposed of in each dumpsite, as well as on the environmental and social conditions of the area. Open burning and animal feeding increase the health risks substantially, the first by direct emissions of dangerous pollutants and the second by transferring the pollutants to the food chain. Uncontrolled disposal of hazardous and healthcare waste as well as manual on-site treatment and disposal of e-waste by informal workers result in important increases of all the health risks and the negative environmental impacts. ISWA calls upon international organizations, governments and local authorities to develop emergency programs that will identify the riskiest dumpsites and proceed with their closure. ISWA considers the closure of the dumpsites as a global health emergency and it will work closely with all the involved stakeholders to accelerate programs, initiatives and investments that will result in a world free of dumpsites. Details: Vienna, Austria: International Solid Waste Association, 2013. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 7, 2019 at: https://www.iswa.org/fileadmin/galleries/Task_Forces/THE_TRAGIC_CASE_OF_DUMPSITES.pdf Year: 2013 Country: International URL: http://closingdumpsites.iswa.org/news/news-detail/browse/4/article/wasted-health-the-tragic-case-of-dumpsites/1369/ Shelf Number: 155342 Keywords: DumpsitesIllegal DumpingIllegal Waste DisposalPollutionWaste Disposal |
Author: Baker, James Title: Pollution in the Ocean: Everything Flows Downhill Summary: In May 2009, the Aquarium brought together a group of leading marine scientists, informal educators, communicators, exhibit designers, and public policy experts to identify and explore major ocean issues and to develop documents and strategies to engage the public in these issues. Support for the conference was provided by NOAA, NSF, Southern California Edison, the Marine Conservation Research Institute of the Aquarium of the Pacific, Kings Seafood, and Santa Monica Seafood. The first four reports - (1) Coastal Hazards, (2) Ecosystems and Fisheries, (3) Critical Condition: Ocean Health and Human Health, and (4) Pollution-are based very loosely on booklets in the National Academies Ocean Science Series which can be found at http://dels.nas.edu/osb. Other reports based upon the conference will be added to this Aquarium of the Pacific website. Details: S.L.: 2009. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 20, 2019 at: http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/images/mcri_uploads/Pollution-Ocean.pdf Year: 2009 Country: International URL: http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/mcri/info/pollution_in_the_ocean_everything_flows_downhill/forums Shelf Number: 155478 Keywords: Environmental Crime Green CriminologyIllegal Dumping Illegal WasteMarine PollutionOffences Against the Environment Pollution |
Author: Basel Action Network Title: The Summary: INTRODUCTION The BAN e-Trash Transparency Project In 2016, BAN published its groundbreaking reports entitled "Disconnect: Goodwill and Dell, Exporting the Public's E-Waste to Developing Countries," (May) and "Scam Recycling: e-Dumping on Asia by US Recyclers," (September). These reports followed several years of research, development and implementation of GPS/cell phone-based tracking technology. They involved placing 205 different GPS tracking devices inside of old printers, LCD, and CRT monitors, delivering them to US charities, retailers and recyclers and following them to their endpoints across the globe. Such research activities and subsequent publication of the results can be said to be a form of citizen enforcement because the trade of hazardous wastes, including most electronic waste, to developing countries from developed countries is illegal under international norms (Basel Convention) and under laws of most developed countries. Certainly, under the rules of the Basel Convention, it is illegal for developing countries to import hazardous e-wastes from the United States. 96% of the exports revealed by BAN 's 2016 study were deemed as likely illegal. The study as summarized in "Scam Recycling" witnessed 34% of the 205 deployments moving offshore with 31% of the total going to developing countries. Looking at those that were exported only 93% of the exports went to developing countries. 87% to Asia, 3% to Africa and 1% to the Middle East, and 1% to the Latin America/Caribbean region. 7% moved to the developed countries of Mexico and Canada. Most of the exports ended up in Hong Kong's rural northern area called New Territories. BAN's investigators visited GPS locations where the trackers ended up and found hundreds of e-waste junkyards in New Territories where the hazardous equipment is unfortunately smashed by hand, exposing workers to dangerous mercury laden dust, vapors and hazardous toners. Much of the e-waste was simply dumped in fields and wastelands. Of the 152 trackers delivered directly to recyclers and not to charities, 40% were exported significantly higher than the 15% rate for the 53 trackers delivered to charities or retailers. In the course of the entire pathways (chains) of the 205 tracker movements, the trackers passed through the hands of 168 different identifiable US recyclers. Of these companies, over 45% were part of a movement that went offshore (export chain). That study revealed also that R2 certified recyclers had a higher-than-average export rate. Uncertified recyclers had a lower-than-average export rate, and e-Stewards Certified Recyclers had the lowest average export rate of all three categories. With respect to the Certifications held by the "last holder" (apparent exporter), R2 exceeded e-Stewards 9-1. Finally, the report reveals the false claims and "green washing" of many of the companies that claim that they never would allow the public's waste electronics to be exported. The complete reports and media generated from them, including the PBS Newshour video segment that followed BAN to Hong Kong, can be found on our website's Trash Transparency Project pages. These reports include in detail, a full disclosure of the study findings including lists of all companies involved, the environmental harm caused, methodology, conclusions, and recommendations. BAN's work tracking e-waste in the United States and around the world with GPS trackers continues. BAN's ethical recycling certification program known as e-Stewards now uses trackers routinely to verify performance of the trade requirements in the standard (e.g. no export of hazardous e-waste to developing countries). At the same time, BAN continues to deploy trackers across North America to reveal for consumers and lawmakers alike, the illegal and/or unethical trade practices of some recyclers. It is our intention to continue to report on these trackers. The most recent deployment involved 60 trackers deployed in Texas, Georgia, and Florida in the US. 31 of these were R2 Certified (52%), 4 were both e-Stewards and R2 (6.66%), 1 was eStewards only (1.67 percent), and 24 were uncertified (40%). On September 6 of 2017, the first update of new tracker findings since our September 15, 2016 report was published. In that report we revealed 16 more chains of export (15 LCD monitors and one printer) involving 7 target recycling companies. 5 of these were in California, one in Ohio and one in Texas. An additional two companies (Skill Office Machines and VKL Exports) were also identified. Details: Seattle, Washington: Basel Action Network, 2017. 18p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 20, 2019 at: http://wiki.ban.org/images/1/13/TheScamRecyclingContinuesUpdate_1.pdf Year: 2017 Country: International URL: https://www.ban.org/trash-transparency Shelf Number: 155487 Keywords: E-Waste Electronic Waste Environmental Crime Green CriminologyHazardous Waste Illegal Dumping Illegal Waste Offences Against the Environment Pollution Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment WEEE |
Author: Palmer, Hayley Title: Illegal Export of e-Waste from Australia: A Story Told by GPS Trackers Summary: In September and October of 2017 BAN deployed 35 pieces of non-functional electronic waste equipment including CRT monitors, LCD monitors and printers with GPS trackers imbedded within them across Australia. All of the equipment qualified under the Basel Convention as hazardous waste. 14 units of equipment were deployed in the Brisbane area, 13 in the Sydney area, 3 in Adelaide, and 5 in Perth. Out of these 35 trackers 2 were exported (5.71%), 1 moved to a seaport and was likely exported (2.86%), 11 moved to a Recycler (31.4%), 4 moved to a landfill (11.4%), 7 never moved, (20%), 6 had no signal after delivery (17.1%) and 2 moved to an unknown location (5.71%). 2 are still reporting regularly and the rest have gone quiet, meaning they could be bulldozed into a landfill, buried deep in a warehouse, or shredded or disassembled by a recycler. Exports from OfficeWorks -- Three of the devices appear to have been exported, with two definitely going to Hong Kong's New Territories area. Both of these were LCDs monitors from the Brisbane area and one of these was later re-exported to an e-waste processing facility in Thailand. The two exported LCDs were deployed at different OfficeWorks stores in the Brisbane area. Officeworks' "Bring I.T Back" as a "Drop Zone" location is an official Australian Government public drop-off location that the public is encouraged to use for their electronic recycling. Officeworks, according to their website, considers itself to be a very sustainable company. The third device, another LCD left at Endeavor Foundation Industries, another government approved e-waste dropoff location, last signaled at a container dock at the port of Brisbane and was likely exported- though it has yet to signal again. Site Visits BAN traveled to the two locations in Asia where the two exported LCDs ended up. Both of these, without showing any other stopping points after their respective OfficeWorks deliveries, were joined in one intermodal container and shipped to the Ping Che area of New Territories, Hong Kong. Ping Che is an infamous area of Hong Kong for e-waste trafficking where most commonly undocumented laborers are involved in the crude and harmful breakdown of the equipment, often exposing them to dangerous toner dust, and, in the case of LCDs -- the toxic metal mercury. However, when we visited the location a few months after the arrival of the LCDs, there was no trace of e-waste in the facility - apparently, it had been cleaned out and one of the tracked devices stopped signaling. The other one, however, we visited its second location in Thailand. In Thailand that LCD monitor arrived at a location that was involved in crude smelting of circuit boards, creating deadly dioxins and furans, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Illegal Exportation There can be little doubt that these exports were illegal due to the fact that all three countries concerned, Australia, China (including Hong Kong), and Thailand are all parties to the Basel Convention. Due to the presence of mercury in the backlights of these LCD monitors and the lead in the circuit boards of the monitors, and because the equipment was rendered non-functional, the equipment was clearly a hazardous waste under the definitions of the Basel Convention. As such, all exports would require that they be notified prior to export by the government of Australia and consented to by the initially receiving government of Hong Kong. Thailand, in recent weeks, has made it abundantly clear that they are not happy receiving e-waste imported illegally en masse to primitive processing facilities that have been springing up all over their territory following China's own importation ban (see Current Trends in the e-Waste Trade). Details: Seattle, Washington: Basel Action Network, 2018. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 20, 2019 at: http://wiki.ban.org/images/7/7c/Australian_e-Waste_Report_-_2018.pdf Year: 2018 Country: Australia URL: https://www.ban.org/trash-transparency Shelf Number: 155489 Keywords: AustraliaE-Waste Electronic Waste Environmental Crime Green CriminologyHazardous Waste Illegal Dumping Illegal Waste Offences Against the Environment Pollution Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment WEEE |
Author: Macfadyen, Graeme Title: Abandoned, Lost or Otherwise Discarded Fishing Gear Summary: Abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) is a problem that is increasingly of concern. Various United Nations General Assembly resolutions now provide a mandate for, and indeed require, action to reduce ALDFG and marine debris in general. Consequently, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) entered into an agreement to carry out a study in relation to ALDFG in order to raise awareness of the extent of the problem and to recommend action to mitigate the problem of ALDFG by flag states, regional fisheries management bodies and organizations, and international organizations, such as UNEP, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and FAO. This report reviews the magnitude and composition of ALDFG, and while noting that information is not comprehensive and does not allow for any global estimates, suggests that gillnets and fishing traps/pots may be the most common type of ALDFG, although netting fragments may also be common in some locations. The impacts of ALDFG are also considered and include: continued catching of target and non-target species (such as turtles, seabirds and marine mammals); alterations to the benthic environment; navigational hazards; beach debris/litter; introduction of synthetic material into the marine food web; introduction of alien species transported by ALDFG; and a variety of costs related to clean-up operations and impacts on business activities. In general, gillnets and pots/traps are most likely to "ghost fish" while other gear, such as trawls and longlines, are more likely to cause entanglement of marine organisms, including protected species, and habitat damage. The factors which cause fishing gear to be abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded are numerous and include: adverse weather; operational fishing factors including the cost of gear retrieval; gear conflicts; illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing; vandalism/theft; and access to and cost and availability of shoreside collection facilities. Weather, operational fishing factors and gear conflicts are probably the most significant factors, but the causes of ALDFG accumulation are poorly documented and not well understood. A detailed understanding of why gear is abandoned, lost or discarded is needed when designing and tailoring effective measures to reduce ALDFG in particular locations. A variety of measures are currently in place to reduce ALDFG, and these are profiled in this report. They include those which are preventative or ex-ante, and those which are curative or ex-post. Evidence suggests that while both are important, much of the emphasis to date has been placed on curative measures such as gear retrieval programmes and clean-up of beach litter, while preventative measures may generally be more cost-effective in reducing ALDFG debris and its impacts. This report concludes with a number of recommendations for future action to reduce ALDFG debris, be it on a mandatory or voluntary basis. It also considers at what scale and which stakeholders (e.g. international organizations, national government, the private sector, research institutions) might be best placed to address the wide range of possible measures to reduce the amount of ALDFG debris. Details: Rome, Italy: United Nations Environment Programme, 2009. 117p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 20, 2019 at: http://www.fao.org/3/i0620e/i0620e00.htm Year: 2009 Country: International URL: http://www.fao.org/3/i0620e/i0620e00.htm#Contents Shelf Number: 155493 Keywords: Crimes Against the EnvironmentEnvironmental Crime Fishing NetsGreen CriminologyHazardous Waste Illegal Dumping Illegal Unregulated and Unreported FishingIUU FishingMarine PollutionOceans Pollution Offences Against the Environment Pollution |
Author: Beasley Associates Title: Tip of the Binberg: Exploring the Full Cost of Waste Crime in Greater Manchester Summary: Beasley Associates and RGR were commissioned by Dsposal, supported by the GC Business Growth Hub, to deliver a study on waste crime in Greater Manchester with a focus on flytipping. The research assessed the costs of waste crime in the region, considered why and how waste crime happens, analysed public awareness of their legal duties with waste and identified opportunities to intervene, recognising that local authorities, businesses and communities are tackling the challenge and building momentum for their efforts. Fly-tipping is a significant and persistent problem in Greater Manchester, with local authorities reporting nearly 53,000 separate incidents in 2016/17 - 144 incidents for every single day of the year, producing an estimated average of nearly 20,000 tonnes of illegally dumped waste that year. This endemic illegal activity has a notable negative effect on the Greater Manchester economy. It cost the councils of Greater Manchester nearly 4.9 million pounds in 2016/17 in clearance and enforcement costs, with the revenue from fines and Fixed Penalty Notices barely making a dent in this cost. In addition, a conservative average estimate of around 750,000 pounds represents income lost by not recycling these materials and further to this, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs loses out on VAT and Income Tax on an element of the estimated 3 million pounds a year generated in cash sales by 'man and a van' operators providing waste clearance services in and around Greater Manchester. The circumstances in which this persistent but relatively low-level waste crime breeds are encouraged by the prioritisation by the public of low cost and convenience when choosing waste clearance services (as evidenced by the research commissioned from YouGov), rather than compliance with the public's Duty of Care. Awareness of public legal obligations on waste is low and confused and this is capitalised upon by several 'man and van' waste clearance operators who obfuscate even the best-intentioned members of the public trying to 'do the right thing' and deal with their waste properly and legally. The councils of Greater Manchester are tackling the challenge of fly-tipping and have achieved some success despite the severe restrictions on the resources available to them and the limited effect so far of national campaigns to raise awareness of legal responsibilities on waste for business and householders alike. To make further headway in tackling fly-tipping across Greater Manchester requires all those with an interest to collaborate and build on the substantial efforts already being made in the face of an endemic problem. We have offered some broad recommendations for further consideration. a) Highlight the cost of fly-tipping clearance in any new communications campaigns, as this is money that could be better spent on other local authority services. This approach of using hard hitting financial facts does seem to resonate and find traction with residents who may be less receptive to environmental campaigns. b) Seek to recover more of the costs of clearance through fines and enforcement activities, which presently contribute only modestly towards the total costs. This will require a greater investment in enforcement activities, however it is possible for a sound business case to be developed based on future cost avoidance. c) Devise new communications to localise messages about the importance of staying within the law and being aware of Carriers' Licences and Waste Transfer Notes. This could include targeted social and print media advertising, alongside the waste clearance adverts so that they have prominence in juxtaposition to the classified advertisements and social media pages. d) Focus general communications activity on the need for local action, and highlight distinctive local issues such as back alleys, utilising the existing good practice work of agencies such as Keep Britain Tidy and well developed local campaigns such as Hertfordshire Waste Partnership's Fly-Tipping Campaign. e) Engage the Environment Agency (EA) by consistently supporting them with intelligence on illegal operators, including reporting advertisers erroneously using the EA logo to gain credibility for their service. f) Simplify how householders and businesses can access quality assured information about legal, compliant collectors and waste managers. This could involve some form of validation service for collectors and operators, involving a new collaboration between the GMCA, the ten local district authorities of Greater Manchester, the Environment Agency, representative trade bodies such as the ESA and the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management, utilising the expertise of service providers such as Disposal. g) Further research should be commissioned which investigates the true level of knowledge and understanding amongst businesses about their duty of care and explores their main drivers in terms of selecting disposal services. This will provide evidence to judge whether there is any parity between the householder view and local businesses and help provide focus for any subsequent targeted campaign work. Details: Manchester, England: Beasley Associates & Ray Georgeson Resources for Disposal & GC Business Growth Hub, 2018. 55p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 28, 2019 at: https://ciwm-journal.co.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Tip-of-the-Binberg-Full-Report.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://dsposal.uk/articles/tip-of-the-binberg/ Shelf Number: 156039 Keywords: Environmental CrimeFly-tippingIllegal DumpingIllegal WasteOffences Against the EnvironmentWaste Management |