The overall objective of the Basel Convention is to protect human health and the environment from the harmful effects of hazardous waste. Its scope covers a wide range of wastes considered to be “hazardous waste” due to their origin and/or composition and characteristics (art. 1 and annexes I, III, VIII and IX), as well as two types of waste considered to constitute “other wastes” (household waste and residues from incineration, art. 1 and annex II).