The available results show that HHW generation, composition,
and driving forces often vary from region to region, indicating that
HHW management should be conducted differently in different
countries. Therefore, local authorities need to create their own
HHW database as quickly as possible.
In China, hazardous wastes are classified into three types: (1)
industrial hazardous waste, (2) medical hazardous waste, and (3)
HHW. Industrial hazardous waste and medical hazardous waste
are separately disposed of and accurately recorded in accordance
with Chinese law. Comparatively speaking, HHW is neglected in
China, with no governing legal framework. Moreover, although
most Chinese cities encourage the separation of HHW, such as
batteries, oil paint and light tubes, prior to disposal, these items
are generally mixed in HSW and/or MSW during collection and dis-
posal (Tai et al., 2011). China is one of the fastest developing coun-
tries with an average of 8% GDP increase in recent years (according
to the China Official Statistics, China’s 2013 GDP growing by 7.7%
over the previous year). There is a huge imbalance existing
between economic development and HHW management in China.
However, no statistics and/or investigational data are available on
a national or city level, indicating a critical need to study China’s