4. Packaging operations

4.1 Lifecycle management

The lifespan of packaging varies widely, from single-use drums for mining concentrates to heavy packaging for spent fuel, some of which has been in use for 40 years. Factors that limit service life include technical obsolescence (with the emergence of higher-capacity or lower-cost packaging), the closure of the facilities they serve, changes in regulations (on average 10 years between two significant modifications), the need to provide the authorities with proof of resistance to accidental conditions, and wear and tear on components that cannot be economically replaced.

Packaging for radioactive materials is likely to be contaminated as soon as it is used for the first time. They are therefore likely to become radioactive waste in whole...