Informal sector activities: Econdmic influences on waste management systems

摘要

Informally transhipped items are a contemporary issue in waste management in Europe. Groups of persons conduct collection and treatment of wastes and materials without official authorisation, assignment or trading license. As a consequence, risks remain for environment and human health because the state-of-the-art treatments are not applied. Conversely, the rapid technological development of electrical and electronic equipment brings about shorter life cycles, whereby the informal sector supports the idea of reuse. Items still usable are offered for resale, which can be favoured with regard to the waste hierarchy of the Waste Framework Directive.