Waste management indicators – statistical indicators for industrial waste management – criteria for environmental impact assessment

Abstract

Statistics at the EU and national level, on the generation and management of waste coming from industrial activities are used in the process of monitoring the implementation of industrial waste policies and in assessing how the prevention/reduction principle in generating waste at their source is applied. The paper presents the methodology of setting up a system of statistical indicators able to illustrate the environmental pressure coming from the economic development, by reporting the production value obtained to the waste quantity generated to get that production.The indicators developed in the work at the aggregated level for several industrial sectors or for a given NACE-coded industrial activity have been calculated by using the databases of the National Agency for Environmental Protection and of the National Institute for Statistics. Statistical analyzes of the dynamics of the developed indicators revealed a series of expected trends, absolute (or relative) de-coupling of development from resource use, but also some instances in which the environmental impact increased. As the indicator system assesses the success or failure of environmental policies, they may constitute a decision making support, relevant for Central / Local Authorities, Regulatory Agencies, business operators but also for communities, NGO and the general public.