Declaration on Waste Containing Nanomaterials

The Declaration on Waste Containing Nanomaterials is a statement by a global coalition of civil society organisations and research institutes calling for a precautionary approach to the management of manufactured nanomaterials (MNMs) in waste streams to protect human health and the environment.

• The document expresses concern that manufactured nanomaterials (MNMs) are increasingly present in waste streams—including consumer products, industrial and medical waste, and treatment residues—but are difficult to quantify and characterise, leading to potential exposure to substances with poorly understood toxicity.
• The signatories call for the implementation of full producer responsibility, which includes requiring producers to perform waste characterisation and declaration, as well as establishing nano-specific occupational health and safety standards for workers.
• The declaration proposes several EU-specific measures: implementing strict control mechanisms for the export of waste containing MNMs similar to hazardous waste regulations, and creating an EU-wide public nano-product registry to monitor waste flows and quantify MNMs in products.
• The document advocates for the development of verifiable end-of-waste criteria for recyclable materials containing MNMs to prevent cross-contamination and support EU circular economy efforts, while urging innovators to use MNM properties to improve product repair, re-manufacturing, and recyclability.
• The signatories urge that source reduction of waste containing MNMs be made a standard requirement for any research and development project involving nanotechnologies that receives public funding.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (n.d.). Declaration on Waste Containing Nanomaterials. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/NanoWaste-Declaration-Apr2016.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Declaration on Waste Containing Nanomaterials. n.d. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/NanoWaste-Declaration-Apr2016.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Declaration on Waste Containing Nanomaterials |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/NanoWaste-Declaration-Apr2016.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centerforinternationalenvironmentallawnddeclaration, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Declaration on Waste Containing Nanomaterials}}, publisher = {Center for International Environmental Law}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/NanoWaste-Declaration-Apr2016.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }