The safe disposal of hazardous industrial waste has become a very high priority for governments and industry as new products and materials come into wider use. Disposing of waste such as plastic, solvents, oils and heavy metals poses problems that did not exist or were not understood a few decades ago. Many dangerous substances dumped in the past are still causing environmental problems today.
The disposal of hazardous waste is now controlled but many conservationists are still concerned that the standards set are too low to protect the environment adequately. They also claim there are too few inspectors to make sure that the proper procedures are adhered to, especially at sea.