Article 18 of the Saudi Waste Management Law

This article addresses a practical situation: the waste transporter cannot deliver the waste to its approved destination.

The rule:

• The transport service provider must return the waste to its producer.
• This covers waste of all kinds, not only hazardous waste.
• The waste producer then bears responsibility for taking the measures needed to treat and dispose of it, as set by the Implementing Regulations.

The meaning is that the transporter may not deal with the waste himself if he cannot deliver it, for example by leaving it in another place or disposing of it by an unapproved method, but must return it to its producer. The original responsibility reverts to the waste producer.

The article does not specify the reasons for the impossibility, so it covers any case in which the waste cannot be delivered to its approved destination. Nor does it detail the return procedures or what the producer does afterward, but refers them to the Implementing Regulations.

Under Article 1, a waste producer is any person who produces waste classified under the provisions of the Law. Article 17 sets special obligations on those licensed to transport hazardous waste, and Article 19 regulates the import and export of waste.

If you have a practical case relating to this provision, it is best to consult a lawyer who specializes in environmental and administrative laws.