Market increase in hazardous waste shipments

Hazardous waste shipments out of the EU rose fourfold between 1997 and 2005, according to a recent Commission report on the implementation of EU waste shipment legislation. Nonetheless, 91% of EU hazardous waste was treated in the country of origin in 2005. It is illegal under international and EU law for countries to ship toxic waste to non-OECD countries. Not all countries, however, have sufficient capacity to treat their own waste. The largest exporter of hazardous waste in 2005 was the Netherlands, with 2.6 million tonnes of waste treated abroad, followed by Belgium, Italy, France and Ireland.