Hazardous waste disposal is currently costing British industry £150 million per annum, however the changes to the management of hazardous waste will result in this bill potentially rising to £450 million.

One reason for this is the definitions of hazardous waste will change under the European Waste Catalogue (EWC).

The catalogue updates the definitions of what constitutes waste and adds approximately 250 new products brought into the hazardous waste category.

Now hazardous waste includes such everyday products as fluorescent tubes, computer monitors, television sets and batteries.

The Landfill Directive is another reason for the threefold increase. From July 2004 the number of landfill sites licensed in the UK to accept hazardous waste decreased from several hundred to less than 20.

And the Landfill Directive now bans the disposal of certain types of waste. It also bans co-disposal and insists hazardous waste has to be treated before landfilling.

Landfill site operators have had to elect to operate either a hazardous waste landfill or a non-hazardous waste/inert waste landfill, which means the number of sites taking hazardous waste is likely to drop drastically.

Failure to comply with the ban is an offence under the Landfill Regulations 2002 as amended and carries a maximum sentence of an unlimited fine and up to five years imprisonment.

Further legislative changes including the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive are due to be implemented in 2005.

The Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive legislation due to be passed in 2006 will place even more pressure on business to manage hazardous materials.