Environmentally sound management (ESM) toolkit

The ESM toolkit is a collection of practical tools to assist Parties and other stakeholders in ensuring environmentally sound management of hazardous and other wastes.

At its eleventh meeting, the Conference of the Parties adopted the ESM Framework as a guide for Parties and stakeholders to address the challenges of implementing environmentally sound management of hazardous and other wastes. At the same meeting, the Conference of the Parties also established an expert working group on environmentally sound management to promote the implementation of the Framework by developing practical tools to support it.

Subsequently, the expert working group developed a series of tools, which it decided to group together in an online toolkit (ESM toolkit) in order to facilitate their accessibility and promotion.

All tools included in the ESM toolkit have a strong practical emphasis and are intended to provide concise guidance on specific aspects of environmentally sound management. The ESM toolkit comprises the following tools:

1) Compilation of training materials

2) ESM criteria

3) Fact sheets
    *General Information: Implementation of ESM of wastes
    *Electrical and electronic waste (E-waste)
    *Waste vehicles
    *Medical or healthcare waste    
    *Waste lead-acid batteries        
    *Waste oils        
    *Pneumatic tyres

4) Guidance on waste prevention

5) Informal sector Part 1 - Part 2

6) Pilot projects Part 1 - Part 2

7) Practical manuals
    *Terminology included in the practical manuals for the promotion of the ESM of wastes
    *General policies and legislation
    *Permits, licenses or authorizations
    *Certification schemes
    *Waste prevention

8) Private sector incentives

9) Self assessment checklist

The twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties recognized that the ESM toolkit may be evaluated and, if appropriate, updated, after the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties.