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On November 12 and 13, 2019, the Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) issued the General Rules for Identification Standards for Hazardous Waste (GB5085.7-2019 [1]) and the Technical Specifications on Identification for Hazardous Waste (HJ 298-2019 [2]) to replace the 2007 version of the two documents. Both standards are set to come into force on January 1, 2020.
GB 5085.7-2019 specifies procedures and rules for the identification of hazardous waste. Its application scope involves solid wastes produced from production processes, daily lives, and other activities. However, it does not apply to radioactive wastes. The identification procedure is specified as follows:
According to relevant regulations and GB 34330 [3], objects or substances identified as not solid wastes do not fall under the category of hazardous wastes;
For those identified as solid wastes, they are considered hazardous wastes as long as they are in the National Inventory of Hazardous Wastes [4], and the identification of their hazards is no longer needed.
Waste not listed into the Inventory, which may be erosive, toxic, flammable, or reactive, their identification can be conducted referring to GB 5085.1, GB 5085.2, GB 5085.3, GB 5085.4, GB 5085.5 and GB 5085.6 as well as HJ 298. Waste, which has any of the hazards listed above, are considered hazardous wastes.
For solid wastes which are not listed into the Inventory and whose identity cannot be conducted referring to the standards, the authorities for ecology and environment under the State Council should organize a panel of experts to identify them, if they can cause harms to human health or the ecosystem and environment.
Besides the procedure, GB 5085.7-2019 also provides rules for the identification of hazardous wastes after their mixture, use, or disposal.
With the same application scope as GB 5085.7-2019, HJ 298-2019 stipulates technical requirements for the collection and testing of samples for the identification of solid wastes as well as an assessment of testing results. Compared with the 2007 version, the new additions include technical specifications for sampling, testing, and assessment of solid wastes involved in environmental events.
