WASTE MANAGEMENT IN SERBIAN RAILWAYS

Prof. dr Larisa JovanovićEDUCONS UNIVERSITY

Sremska Kamenica

1st South East Environment Workshop29-30 September 2011. Belgrade, Serbia

INTRODUCTION

Increasing of the waste quantity is one of the global ecological problems of modern times. Discarded materials that are partially or completely usable become the waste generated in every area of human activity. Growing population and increased industrial production and consumption create an increasing amount of waste material, which leads to the increasing environmental pollution and soil degradation.

Inadequate waste management through the accumulation on poorly equipped landfills, garbage dumps and on the territory of the factories is one of the biggest environmental problems in countries in transition. Many types of the waste can be reused or recycled Waste becomes a resource.

In many countries are proposed the waste management strategies to reduce its harmful effects on the environment and human health.In Serbia a new National Waste Management Strategy was adopted in May 2010 and new Law on Waste Management in December 2010.

STRATEGY OF THE INTEGRAL WASTE MANAGEMENT

• Reduce, • Reuse, • Recycle, • Rethink

The plan to establish a system of waste management in "Serbian Railways" (finished in March 2010) includes:

• identification and classification of waste types, • quantities and morphological assessment of the

waste composition, • waste management procedures.

WASTE MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES

• collection, • handling at the source, • transport, • assessment of options available for temporary

storage of identified waste flows, • estimating of the treatment system costs, • keeping documents.

As a starting point in the process of waste management planning in the Serbian Railways, which consists of several different sections and branches, there is a need to establish a reliable database on the types and sources of waste, the existing quantities of waste, the current management methods of collecting, sorting, treatment and final disposal of the remains.

During regular activities railway lines produce many types of waste which consists of waste wood and concrete sleepers, rails, cast iron, steel, waste oil, batteries, filings, greasy cotton rags, ash after combustion of coal and municipal waste.

In accordance with the laws of the RS, regulations and directives of the EU carried out the sorting and classification of waste identified in "Serbian Railways". Featured are the following waste flows: municipal, commercial and industrial non-hazardous waste, packaging waste, hazardous waste (PCB waste oil, waste from electrical and electronic products, used batteries, asbest).

In accordance with European Waste Catalogue (EWC) Directive 2000/532/EC and Regulation on conditions and manner of classification, packaging and storage of recyclable materials (Official Gazette No. 55/01) completed the categorization of waste. The classification of waste by origin, category and nature is presented in the next table.

Categorization of waste generated within "Serbian Railways"

Index Categorization according to the European Waste Catalogue (EWC) Directive 2000/532/EC = Regulation on conditions and manner of classification, packaging and storage of recyclable materials (Official Gazette No. 55/01)

13 Waste from oil and liquid fuels residues (except edible oils, and those in chapters 05, 12 and 19)

15 Wastes from packaging, absorbents, cloths for removal, filter materials and protective fabric, unless otherwise specified

16 Wastes not specified in the catalog17 Construction waste and demolition wastes (including soil from

contaminated sites)20 Municipal waste (household waste and similar commercial

waste, including separately collected fractions)

Estimated total quantity of waste is 25 744 t. This is the amount of waste created in the long run, and is temporarily stored in the objects of "Serbian Railways“ units and along the rail belt. The amount of hazardous waste which consists of waste motor oil, transformer oil, greasy rags, asbestos packing, discarded electrical and electronic equipment is 70 tons,and non-hazardous waste with characteristics of secondary raw materials is 25.674 t. The largest amounts of hazardous waste are generated during the reconstruction and upgrading of certain sections of the railway network in Serbia.

Waste management in Serbia is regulated by the following legal framework:

• Rules on conditions and manner of classification, packaging and storage of recyclable materials, 2001.

• Rules on treatment of wastes with hazardous properties of substances• National Waste Management Strategy, 2003.• Law on Environment Protection, 2004.• Law on Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment, 2004.• Law on Environmental Impact Assessment, 2004.• Law on Integrated Prevention and Control of Pollution, 2004.• Law on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, 2008.• Law on Waste Management, 2009, 2010.• Law on Amending the Law on Environmental, 2009.• Law on Amendments to the Law on Environmental Impact Assessment,

2009.• Act on Biocidal products, 2009.• Law on Packaging and Packaging Waste, 2009.• National Waste Management Strategy of RS, 2010.

Thank you for your attention!