Industrial hazardous waste in the framework of EU and international legislation

Purpose - The aim of the present study is to present in a systematic way the subject of industrial hazardous waste from the point-of-view of definitions in engineering, science and legislation. This analysis is necessary, as many different approaches and overlapping definitions are used for the classification of waste, leading to different results, a situation that often complicates the collection and interpretation of data on waste. Design/methodology/approach - The study is conducted by bringing together the extended experience of the authors and other experts in the field of environmental legislation and a wide variety of scientific and legislative sources as well as articles and research reports. The focus is the European Union, while several approaches from the international area are presented. Findings - The study presents and clarifies several waste typologies and provides a roadmap for professionals and researchers in the field of waste management. Furthermore, the findings reveal the need for a unified and robust definition of the term as well as the need for globalization of similar terms in order to unify and value the relevant data. Practical implications - The study highlights the problem of definitions and approaches as well as the gap between what engineers and legislation experts mean by the term industrial hazardous waste. The paper represents an effort to establish a basis for unification of the relevant terms. Originality/value - The paper provides an in-depth analysis on the industrial hazardous waste field and the relevant problems including actual data found in the international literature. The value of the research is that it brings together all existing experience and knowledge in the field in the form of a review paper, useful for professional and policy makers in the field.