Many eminent government members, particularly the Minister of Finance who is currently also responsible for Enemalta, have always been quick to dismiss hazardous waste as a mere irritant.

In such countries as England and Wales regulations regarding hazardous waste have been in place since 2005, replacing the Special Waste regulations of 1996 as amended.

The regulations set out procedures to be followed when disposing of, carrying and receiving hazardous waste. They require that waste movements are tracked from cradle to grave using "consignment notes" and specify which materials are to be considered hazardous.

The regulations also require for any producer of hazardous waste with some exceptions to register their premises with the Environment Agency, which they can even do online.

These regulations do not apply to household waste, with the exception of asbestos removed from domestic properties.

A key objective of the licensing system in the UK - even so far as hazardous waste is concerned - is to ensure that waste is recovered or disposed of without endangering human health and without using processes or methods which harm the environment.

The "Duty of Care" was introduced under their Environment Protection Act whereby anyone who imports, produces, carries, keeps, treats or disposes of waste is subject to a Duty of Care for which they must take all reasonable and applicable measures:

• to prevent another person illegally treating, keeping, depositing, or

• otherwise disposing of the waste;

• to prevent the escape of waste;

• to ensure that transfer of the waste only occurs to an "authorised person" and that the transfer is accompanied by a written description of the waste.

One of the aims of the Duty of Care is to prevent the practice of waste producers simply handling their waste over to anyone prepared to take it away, without giving consideration to where it is going and whether it will be dealt with properly.

Parallel to the WEEE Directive, the Directive on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic equipment was published as far back as in 2003.

With all this in mind, to hear a leading Cabinet Minister dismiss hazardous waste as a mere irritant is at once baffling and alarming, also smacking as something on the verge of political irresponsibility. Particularly when such statements are not made merely off the cuff but during formal presentations and even in Parliament itself in replies to Parliamentary Questions.