Evolution of Regulations and Standards for Stabilized Hazardous Industrial Final Waste Management in France

The application (first partial then total) of the new regulation concerning Final Special Industrial Waste (SIW) landfilling has brought to light the radical increase in management costs (stabilization + landfillmg). This has led industry to reconsider waste generating processes (reduction at the source, pretreatment) to reduce either the quantity or the polluting character of the wastes (authorizing, for example, admission as they stand). In certain extreme cases, this has led to questioning the process itself, leading to the abandon of the considered waste. As far as management of the “unavoidable” Final SIW is concerned, 3 fields of reflection are now open to industry: (1) Delisting of the stabilized waste (either classified as “M” assimilated to household waste, allowing landfilling in class II sites, or potentially as “I” inert, allowing landfilling in class III sites). (2) Valorization of the stabilized waste, thereby economizing the cost of landfill and even fixing a sale price for the material. (3) Valorization of the waste as it stands, thereby economizing the cost of stabilization.