A Gap Analysis in Selected Asian Countries, 3R Knowledge Hub ...

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3R Gap Analysis and Findings
Healthcare facilities without incinerators send
their wastes to hospitals, with on-site
incinerators for burning. However, it has been
indicated that on-site incinerators treat a
relatively small amount of waste. The survey
reports that approximately 350 kg of medical
waste is burned each day by incinerators. The
ash or residues resulting from the incineration
process are partially disposed at dumpsites
located in the vicinity of the incinerators; the rest
is collected by the PSBK Company and is
disposed at the open dumpsite.
Findings
The medical waste generated by hospitals,
polyclinics, clinics, and health centers in Phnom
Penh City are not adequately managed. Most
facilities have not been equipped properly for
the treatment of the medical waste. The amount
of medical waste burned by on-site incinerators
within public hospitals is much less than that
disposed at the open dumpsite. Primary
collection and transportation is carried out by
untrained workers of each facility, while
secondary collection is carried out by the PSBK
Company.
It has been demonstrated that relevant issues
giving rise to the improper management of
medical waste are:
• Jurisdictions for medical waste management
have not been developed, or are rarely wellestablished
and clear
• A well-structured organization for the
management of the medical waste has not
been set up
• The technology required to manage the
medical waste is not available due to the
limitation of financial support
• Human resources in the field of solid waste
management are insufficient
E-WASTE
Like in any other developing country e-waste
management is a major issue in Cambodia too.
However, the economic status of the country
attracts more of importing / dumping issues
rather than locally originated e-wastes.
Cambodia is starved of electricity supplies and
hence people in rural areas thrive on storage
batteries as means for an electricity source. In
this context, Lead Acid Batteries play an
important role in powering the economy.
Various measures have been taken at the local
and national level for the appropriate treatment
of the used lead acid batteries.
As the name implies, these batteries consists of
hazardous materials that often result as wastes
demanding environmentally safe recycling and
disposal. Used Lead Acid Batteries (ULAB) are
common in Cambodia and are either imported
from neighboring countries as whole units or are
assembled within the country.
ULAB recycling enterprises are common in
Battambang Province and are usually built on a
plot of land. The ULAB breaking operation is
manual. The lead bearing waste is placed on the
ground near the smelting furnace. The battery
cases are sent to the milling machine and the
remainders, such as the plate separators, are put
into a pile for incineration. The lead bearing
waste is melted in the open and without any form
of ventilation or extraction using a small crude
melting furnace made from a length of metal tube
about 1 m and 0.4 m in diameter. Charcoal is
added to the leaded scrap as it is charged to the
melting furnace in order to encourage reduction
of some of the battery paste (lead oxide) to
produce metallic lead (lead bullion).
Findings
Recently, the melting operation was temporarily
shutdown due to complaints from people living
and working close to the operation. Following
this, the melting furnace was relocated to a small
empty elevated plot of land surrounded by vast
rice fields. The lead output and the operating
procedures are the same, but the battery breaking
process is still carried out at the first smelting
site.
In order for the laws and other related
regulations to be effective and followed by people
throughout the country the following action must
take place:
• The Basel Convention Guidelines on ULAB
should be translated and disseminated
• MoE should promote Environmental Laws and
Regulations.
• MoE should disseminate the Laws and
Regulations in cooperation with other
concerned ministries.
• The MoE should establish guidelines on ULAB
and explain the adverse effects on human
health and environment if they are not
managed properly.