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INTRODUCTION ALL ABOUT WASTE

Waste has been a major environmental issue everywhere since the industrial
revolution. Besides the waste we create at home, school and other public
places, there are also those from hospitals, industries, farms and other
sources. Humans rely so much on material things and they all (almost) end up
as waste. And hey where does the waste end up?
Waste are items we (individuals, offices, schools, industries, hospitals) dont
need and discard. Sometimes there are things we have that the law requires us
to discard because they can be harmful. Waste comes in infinite sizessome
can be as small as an old toothbrush, or as large as the body of a school bus.


Everyone creates waste, although some people are very environmentally
conscious and create very little. Likewise, some countries do a very good job
creating less waste and managing the rest. Others are pretty horrible and have
created huge environmental problems for the people and animals living there.
All over the world, communities handle their waste or trash differently. Some
common methods of managing the waste.
Generally, waste could be liquid or solid waste. Both of them could be
hazardous. Liquid and solid waste types can also be grouped into organic, re-
usable and recyclable waste.
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TRADE WASTE
WHAT IS TRADE WASTE?
Trade waste is wastewater produced from the operations of industry and
commercial businesses, which is discharged to the sewerage system. More
contaminated than normal domestic sewage, trade waste can contain
chemicals, metals, high organic loads, fats, greases or detergents and therefore
need to be managed carefully.
TYPES OF WASTE
Solid wastes: domestic, commercial and industrial wastes especially common
as co-disposal of wastes Solid waste means any garbage, refuse, sludge from a
wastewater treatment plant, water supply treatment plant, or air pollution control
facility and other discarded materials including solid, liquid, semi-solid, or contained
gaseous material, resulting from industrial, commercial, mining and agricultural
operations, and from community activities, but does not include solid or dissolved
materials in domestic sewage, or solid or dissolved materials in irrigation return flows
or industrial discharges
In Simple Words - Solid wastes are any discarded or abandoned materials.
Solid wastes can be solid, liquid, semi-solid or containerized gaseous material.
Examples of solid wastes include the following materials when discarded:


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waste tires
septage
scrap metal
latex paints
furniture and toys
garbage
appliances and vehicles
oil and anti-freeze
empty aerosol cans, paint cans and compressed gas cylinders
construction and demolition debris, asbestos
some more examples are:
plastics, styrofoam containers, bottles, cans, papers, scrap iron,
and other trash
Liquid Wastes: wastes in liquid form
Examples: domestic washings, chemicals, oils, waste water from ponds,
manufacturing industries and other sources.

Waste can come in non-solid form. Some solid waste can also be converted to a
liquid waste form for disposal. It includes point source and non-point source
discharges such as storm water and wastewater. Examples of liquid waste
include wash water from homes, liquids used for cleaning in industries and waste
detergents.
Solid type:
Solid waste predominantly, is any garbage, refuse or rubbish that we make in
our homes and other places. These include old car tires, old newspapers,
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broken furniture and even food waste. They may include any waste that is non-
liquid.
Hazardous type:
Hazardous or harmful waste is those that potentially threaten public
health or the environment. Such waste could be inflammable (can easily
catch fire), reactive (can easily explode),corrosive (can easily eat through
metal) or toxic (poisonous to human and animals). In many countries, it is
required by law to involve the appropriate authority to supervise the
disposal of such hazardous waste. Examples include fire extinguishers,
old propane tanks, pesticides, mercury-containing equipment (e.g,
thermostats) and lamps (e.g. fluorescent bulbs) and batteries.

Organic type:
Organic waste comes from plants or animals sources. Commonly, they
include food waste, fruit and vegetable peels, flower trimmings and even
dog poop can be classified as organic waste. They are biodegradable (this
means they are easily broken down by other organisms over time and
turned into manure). Many people turn their organic waste
into compost and use them in their gardens.
Recyclable type:
Recycling is processing used materials (waste) into new, useful products.
This is done to reduce the use of raw materials that would have been
used. Waste that can be potentially recycled is termed "Recyclable
waste". Aluminum products (like soda, milk and tomato cans), Plastics
(grocery shopping bags, plastic bottles), Glass products (like wine and
beer bottles, broken glass), Paper products (used envelopes, newspapers
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and magazines, cardboard boxes) can be recycled and fall into this
category.
Waste includes land filling, recycling and composting. Other
communities strongly embark on waste reduction and litter
prevention/control aimed at reducing the production of waste in the first
place. Some communities also engage in waste-to-energy plants and
hazardous waste disposal programs.
Classification of Wastes according to their Properties
Bio-degradable
Can be degraded (paper, wood, fruits and others)
Non-biodegradable
Cannot be degraded (plastics, bottles, old machines, cans, styrofoam containers
and others)
Classification of Wastes according to their Effects on Human Health and the
Environment
Hazardous wastes
Substances unsafe to use commercially, industrially, agriculturally, or
economically that are shipped, transported to or brought from the country of
origin for dumping or disposal in, or in transit through, any part of the territory of
the Philippines
Non-hazardous
Substances safe to use commercially, industrially, agriculturally, or economically
that are shipped, transported to or brought from the country of origin for
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dumping or disposal in, or in transit through, any part of the territory of the
Philippines


SOURCES OF WASTES
There are various sources of wate which are as follows:

Municipal sources of waste:
This includes trash or garbage from households, schools, offices, market
places, restaurants and other public places.
They include everyday items like food debris, used plastic bags, soda cans and
plastic water bottles, broken furniture, grass clippings, product packaging,
broken home appliances and clothing.
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Medical/Clinical sources of waste:

Medical/clinical waste, normally refers to waste produced from health
care facilities, such as hospitals, clinics, surgical theaters, veterinary
hospitals and labs. They tend to be classified as hazard waste rather
than general waste.

Items in this group include surgical items, pharmaceuticals, blood, body
parts, wound dressing materials, needles and syringes
Agricultural sources of waste:
Typically, this is waste generated by agricultural activities. These include
horticulture, fruit growing, seed growing, livestock breeding, market
gardens and seedling nurseries.
Waste items in this group include empty pesticide containers, old silage
wrap, out of date medicines and wormers, used tires, surplus milk, cocoa
pods and corn husks.



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End-of-life Automobiles:



When cars are all old and not working again, where do they end up?
Many people just leave them to rust in the fields, but there is a better
way to deal with them. In many cities, these vehicles are sent to the
plant, where all the removable parts are taken out for recycling. The rest
is flattened up and shredded into peices for recycling. The last bits that
cannot be used again is sent to a landfill.

Industrial sources of waste:

Since the industrial revolution, the rise in the number of industries
manufacturing glass, leather, textile, food, electronics, plastic and metal
products has significantly contributed to waste production. Take a look
at the things in your home, every item there was probably manufactured
and possibly, waste was produced as a result.

Construction/demolition sources of waste:

Construction waste is that resulting from the construction of roads and
building. Sometimes old buildings and structures are pulled down
(demolished) to make space for new ones. This is particularly common in
old cities that are modernizing. This is called demolition waste.
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Waste items include concrete debris, wood, earth, huge package boxes
and plastics from the building materials and the like.
Electronic sources of waste:

This is waste from electronic and electrical devices. Think of DVD and
music players, TV, Telephones, computers, vacuum cleaners and all the
other electrical stuff in your home. These are also called e-waste, e-scrap,
or waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)
Some e-waste (like TV) contains lead, mercury, cadmium, and
brominated flame retardants. These are harmful to humans and the
environment. It is therefore important that the right authorities ensure
the proper disposal of such waste.

Households
Commerce and Industry
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Agriculture


Fisheries Waste Generation by Country
(Global Waste Survey Final Report Published by IMO 1995)*
Countries Amount /year
Japan 395 M tonnes/year
Germany 104 M tonnes/year
Netherlands 6.1 M tonnes/year
Hungary 102 M tonnes/year
Poland 130 M tonnes/year
Romania 607 M tonnes/year
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EFFECTS OF WASTE IF NOT MANAGED WISELY
Affects our health
Affects our socio-economic conditions
Affects our coastal and marine environment
Affects our climate
According to NAS:
GHGs are accumulating in Earths atmosphere as a result of human
activities, causing global mean surface air temperature and subsurface
ocean temperature to rise.
Rising global temperatures are expected to raise sea levels and change
precipitation and other local climate conditions.
Changing regional climates could alter forests, crop yields, and water
supplies.
This could also affect human health, animals, and many types of
ecosystems.
Deserts might expand into existing rangelands, and features of some of
our national parks might be permanently altered.
Some countries are expected to become warmer, although sulfates might
limit warming in some areas.
Bahrain 92,000 tonnes/year
China 6 B tonnes/year
Philippines 1.3 M tonnes/year
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Scientists are unable to determine which parts of those countries will
become wetter or drier, but there is likely to be an overall trend toward
increased precipitation and evaporation, more intense rainstorms, and
drier soils.
Whether rainfall increases or decreases cannot be reliably projected for
specific areas.
Activities that have altered the chemical composition of the atmosphere:
- Buildup of GHGs primarily carbon dioxide (CO2) methane (CH4), and
nitrous oxide (N20).
- C02 is released to the atmosphere by the burning of fossil fuels, wood
and wood products, and solid waste.
- CH4 is emitted from the decomposition of organic wastes in landfills, the
raising of livestock, and the production and transport of coal, natural
gas, and oil.
- N02 is emitted during agricultural and industrial activities, as well as
during combustion of solid waste and fossil fuels. In 1977, the US
emitted about one-fifth of total global GHGs.
WHAT SHOULD BE DONE
Reduce Waste
- Reduce office paper waste by implementing a formal policy to duplex all draft
reports and by making training manuals and personnel information available
electronically.
- Improve product design to use less materials.
- Redesign packaging to eliminate excess material while maintaining strength.
- Work with customers to design and implement a packaging return program.
- Switch to reusable transport containers.
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- Purchase products in bulk.
Reuse
- Reuse corrugated moving boxes internally.
- Reuse office furniture and supplies, such as interoffice envelopes, file folders,
and paper.
- Use durable towels, tablecloths, napkins, dishes, cups, and glasses.
- Use incoming packaging materials for outgoing shipments.
- Encourage employees to reuse office materials rather than purchase new
ones.
Donate/Exchange
- Old books
- Old clothes
- Old computers
- Excess building materials
- old equipment to local organizations
Employee Education
- Develop an office recycling procedures packet.
- Send out recycling reminders to all employees including environmental
articles.
- Train employees on recycling practices prior to implementing recycling
programs.
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- Conduct an ongoing training process as new technologies are introduced and
new employees join the institution.
- Education campaign on waste management that includes an extensive
internal web site, quarterly newsletters, daily bulletins, promotional
signs and helpful reference labels within the campus of an institution.
Preventing Waste
- Packaging waste reductions and changes in the manufacturing process
- use biodegradable materials
Conduct outreach program adopting an ecologically sound waste
management system which includes:
waste reduction
segregation at source
composting
recycling and re-use
more efficient collection
more environmentally sound disposal
Residents are organized into small groups to carry out the following:
1. construction of backyard compost pit
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2. construction of storage bins where recyclable and reusable materials are
stored by each household
3. construction of storage centers where recyclable and reusable materials
collected by the street sweepers are stored prior to selling to junk dealers
4. maintenance of cleanliness in yards and streets
5. greening of their respective areas
6. encouraging others to join


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ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
What is an EMS?
An EMS is a formal set of policies and procedures that define how an
organization will evaluate, manage, and track its environmental impact. It
follows the basic model:
Plan > Do > Check > Act
This facilitates cost-effective environmental performance by defining and
continuously improving the process and actions that an organization
undertakes to meet its environmental goals.
A Policy Statement that communicates an organizations environmental
priorities to employees.
Managerial endorsement of the policy statement demonstrates the
organizations commitment to the effort and willingness to allocate
resources for implementation.
Once a policy statement is in place, the organization implements it following
the model
Stages in the Implementation of EMS
1. Plan
Identify all environmental aspects: any environmental or health and safety
impacts resulting from activities and services. The organization then evaluates
each aspect according to a variety of criteria:
understanding of eco-ethics
environmental and health effects
economic impacts
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liabilities
After establishing a complete list of significant aspects, the organization sets
environmental goals and develops a plan to achieve those goals.
2. Do
The do-phase of the model involves implementation of the environmental plan
through employee training and establishment of operation controls.
3. Check
Evaluates progress toward meeting program goals through ongoing monitoring
and measuring and periodic EMS audits.
4. Act
Involves taking corrective action to update and improve the environmental
plan. For example, if an organization makes significant progress on one
environmental aspect, another environmental aspect will replace it on the
priority list.
EMS Certification
EPA encourages organizations to use recognized EMS frameworks to
improve compliance, pollution prevention, and other measures of
environmental performance.
Third-party certification can also add credibility to an organizations EMS.
Several organizations which offer certification programs:
American Chemistry Council
American Forest and Paper Association
International Chamber of Commerce
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Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) developed the most
widely recognized EMS standard
Why manage waste
Waste degrades water, soil, and air quality; does environmental and
ecological harm.
Waste does harm to human health.
Waste is a symptom of inefficiency; wastes money.
Waste is unpleasant aesthetically.
Ways to manage waste
Three components of waste management:
1. Source reduction, or reducing the amount of waste entering the waste
stream, is best.
2. Recovery (recycling and composting) is next best.
3. Disposal is the least desired option.
Trade Waste collection
Objective
To provide a trade waste collection service that removes commercial
or industrial solid waste in a convenient, competitive and economic
manner whilst generating a reasonable return to the Council.
Strategic Considerations and Planned Variation
Council currently operates this service in a competitive market and
is able to continue to offer a competitive service for businesses
requiring multiple bins and multiple services.
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Council service is based on a rear loading truck whilst the
competition uses front lift vehicles. The front lift has an advantage
in that the operation can be performed in a faster manner and
possibly with less risk with respect to OH&S considerations.
Council is currently phasing out the rear-loading vehicle for trade
collections and implementing a front lift vehicle in its place. A rear
loading vehicle may remain in the fleet to also be a back up for the
front lift service provided the dual lifting method is retained for the
bins. These vehicles are the best type for cleaning up in and after
emergency events and therefore are very flexible. This transition is
expected to take place in the 2003/04 financial year.
Adequate maintenance allowance has been included in the budget
for repair, replacement and retrofitting of the current trade waste
bins.

Municipal solid waste
Paper is the biggest component of municipal solid waste in the United States.

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Waste generation in developing countries
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People used to scavenge from this dump in the Philippines, which was closed
after an avalanche of trash killed people
Waste to energy
Many incinerators now generate electricity from waste combustion.
Waste to energy (WTE) facilities use heat from furnaces to boil water.
Steam turns turbines and generators.
WTE is efficient and effective, but income from power is low and expense
is high, so it takes many years to recoup the investment.



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WTE INCINERATION
Energy from landfills
Landfills can harness energy, too.
- Bacterial decomposition inside landfills produces methane, the
main component of natural gas.
By collecting landfill gas:
- Landfills can make extra money
- Fuel is made available
- Greenhouse gas methane is prevented from
reaching atmosphere

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Reduction is better than disposal
Source reduction or preventing waste in the first place, is a better option
than disposal.
Personal/consumer behavior:
Use fewer items
Buy less-packaged and longer-lived goods
Reuse items
Manufacturer behavior:
Make goods with less packaging
Make longer-lived goods
Adopt more-efficient production methods
REUSE
Reusing items is a powerful way to reduce ones waste.
There are simple ways to do this:
Buy used clothing, and donate used clothing
Bring your own cloth bags to grocery stores
Bring your own coffee mug to coffee shops
COMPOSTING
The conversion of organic waste into mulch or humus by encouraging
natural processes of decomposition
Reduces a homes waste stream
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Produces great soil for gardening
Many communities now have municipally run composting programs
RECYCLING
Recycling is a process to change (waste) materials into new products to
prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh
raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution (from incineration)
and water pollution (from landfilling) by reducing the need for "conventional"
waste disposal, and lowergreenhouse gas emissions as compared to plastic
production.Recycling is a key component of modern waste reduction and is the
third component of the "Reduce, Reuse and Recycle" waste hierarchy.
Consists three steps

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For recycling to work, consumers must buy goods made from recycled
materials:
Many paper products
Many glass and metal products
Some plastic products
Glassphalt for paving
City park benches, etc.
Pages of our textbook
GROWTH OF RECYCLING

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RECYCLING RATES

Forces driving recycling
Businesses see opportunities to save money.
Entrepreneurs see opportunities for new businesses.
Municipalities desire to reduce waste.
People feel satisfaction in recycling responsibly.
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In many cases the latter two are driving recycling, and many programs today are
run at an economic loss
Industrial solid waste
Each year U.S. industries generate 7.6 billion tons of total waste.
97% of this is wastewater
Industrial solid waste = roughly equivalent to amount of municipal
solid waste
Regulatory schemes are different:
Federal government regulates municipal
State or local government regulates industrial
Waste is generated at several points in the life cycle of products.
At each stage there are opportunities for efficiency improvements, source
reduction, and recycling.

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Waste and efficiency
The less waste produced per item manufactured, the more efficient the
process is, from a physical standpoint.
But it may not mean it is economically efficient.
It may be cheaper to waste materials than not to waste them.
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This mismatch is why there is so much industrial waste.
It is because market prices do not include external costs.
Industrial ecology
Involves modifying techniques of processing and manufacturing, and
finding new uses for materials previously considered waste
Seeks to redesign industrial systems to maximize:
Physical efficiency
AND
Economic efficiency
Tries to make sure all by-products produced are used, either in the same
process or a different process
Industrial ecology approaches
Life-cycle analysis: find weak spots
Find areas where waste products from one process can be used for
another process
Eliminate and find replacements for products that are environmentally
damaging
Government regulation of industry may be good for society, but industrial
ecology is good for society AND industry.


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HAZARDOUS WASTE
Hazardous waste is the waste that poses a potential danger to human health or
it can be defined as:
A substance, such as nuclear waste or an industrial byproduct, that is
potentially damaging to the environment and harmful to humans and other
living organisms.
Four criteria:
Ignitability: substances catch fire
Corrosivity: substances corrode metals
Reactivity: substances are chemically unstable and react with other
chemicals in dangerous ways
Toxicity: substances are known to be harmful to human health
There are many types of hazardous waste.
Two are worst because they persist for a long time without breaking
down:
Heavy metals
(mercury, lead, chromium, arsenic, cadmium, tin, copper from
industry, mining, consumer products)
Organic compounds
(synthetic pesticides, petroleum products, rubber, solvents, preservatives
Listed Wastes: Wastes that EPA has determined are hazardous. The lists
include the F-list (wastes from common manufacturing and industrial
processes), K-list (wastes from specific industries), and P- and U-lists
(wastes from commercial chemical products).
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Characteristic Wastes: Wastes that do not meet any of the listings above
but that exhibit ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity.
Universal Wastes: Batteries, pesticides, mercury-containing equipment
(e.g., thermostats) and lamps (e.g., fluorescent bulbs).
Mixed Wastes: Waste that contains both radioactive and hazardous
waste components.
Waste Identification Process: Details about the process for identifying,
characterizing, listing, and delisting hazardous wastes.

Household hazardous waste


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We all have many hazardous substances in our homes and everyday lives.
Many communities organize pickups or collection centers for this waste.
Backyard Composter Drum: Bacteria Convert Kitchen Waste into
Compost
Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) (also referred to as domestic hazardous
waste or home generated special materials) is waste that is generated from
residential households. HHW only applies to wastes that are the result of the
use of materials that are labeled for and sold for "home use". Wastes generated
by a company or at an industrial setting are not HHW.
The following list includes categories often applied to HHW. It is important to
note that many of these categories overlap and that many household wastes
can fall into multiple categories:
Paints and solvents
Automotive wastes (used motor oil, antifreeze, etc.)
Pesticides (insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, etc.)
Mercury-containing wastes (thermometers, switches, fluorescent lighting,
etc.)
Electronics (computers, televisions, cell phones)
Aerosols / Propane cylinders
Caustics / Cleaning agents
Refrigerant-containing appliances
Some specialty Batteries (e.g. lithium, nickel cadmium, or button cell
batteries)
Ammunition
Radioactive waste (some home smoke detectors are classified as
radioactive waste because they contain very small amounts of a
radioactive isotope of americium - see: Disposing of Smoke Detectors
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ILLEGAL DUMPING
Unscrupulous individuals or businesses sometimes illegally dump hazardous
waste to avoid disposal fees
Illegal dumping is defined as discarding waste in an improper or illegal
manner, where it doesnt belong and/or where environmental damage is
likely because of the improper disposal. Illegal dumping occurs when a
person (or business) discards waste where it doesnt belong rather than
disposing of it through proper channels, through a licensed waste hauler,
recycler, or permitted landfill. This often occurs because proper disposal is
too inconvenient, the perpetrator does not want to pay the disposal fee, or
does not take the time to prepare the material for proper disposal.
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Illegal dumps are typically (but not always) found in rural communities, in
sparsely populated areas, and along little-traveled roads. Hidden
embankments are prime dumping spots. Almost half of identified illegal
dumpsites are directly in or within 50 feet of a waterway. Types of trash
typically found in illegal dumpsites include automobile tires, old appliances,
furniture, construction and remodeling debris, and household trash.
Increasingly, television sets and computer monitors are showing up in
illegal dumpsites because of the cost and restriction on disposal.

Impact of Illegal Dumping
Illegal dumping poses a threat to a community s drinking water supply
when toxins leach out of the trash through rain water and snow melt, enter
the groundwater or directly into a waterway, and work its way into the
communitys source water supply. Aquatic life and wildlife are also
adversely affected by toxins leaching from illegally disposed trash.
Finally, illegal dumping takes its toll on property values and community
pride. Whether in an urban area or rural, once a neighborhood starts to
take on that neglected, litter-strewn or trash infested appearance,
community pride and investment go by the wayside.

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Hazardous waste: Disposal methods
Landfills: Special landfills with stricter regulations are used for
hazardous waste.
Surface impoundments: Ponds lined with plastic and clay. Liquid
hazardous waste evaporates, leaving residue.
Deep-well injection: Hazardous waste is pumped deep underground into
porous and stable rock formations, away from aquifers.


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Hazardous waste: Surface impoundments

Really only for temporary storage; not ideal
Waste may overflow, blow out, vaporize, or leak


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Hazardous waste: Deep-well injection




Seems a good idea, but is not without risk: Waste can leak out into groundwater
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RADIOACTIVE WASTE
A special type of hazardous waste
Especially dangerous
Much produced by military and hospitals; some by research institutions
Radioactive wastes are wastes that contain radioactive material.
Radioactive wastes are usually by-products of nuclear power generation and
other applications ofnuclear fission or nuclear technology, such
as research and medicine. Radioactive waste is hazardous to most forms of
life and the environment, and is regulated by government agencies in order
to protect human health and the environment.
Radioactivity naturally decays over time, so radioactive waste has to be
isolated and confined in appropriate disposal facilities for a sufficient period
of time until it no longer poses a hazard. The period of time waste must be
stored depends on the type of waste and radioactive isotopes. It can range
from a few days for very short-lived isotopes to millions of years for spent
nuclear fuel. Current major approaches to managing radioactive waste have
been segregation and storage for short-lived waste, near-surface disposal for
low and some intermediate level waste, and deep burial or partitioning /
transmutation for the high-level waste.
A summary of the amounts of radioactive waste and management
approaches for most developed countries are presented and reviewed
periodically as part of the International (IAEA) Joint Convention on the Safety
of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste
Management.
NATURE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE
Radioactive waste typically comprises a number of radioisotopes: unstable
configurations of elements that decay, emitting ionizing radiation which can be
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harmful to humans and the environment. Those isotopes emit different types
and levels of radiation, which last for different periods of time.
SOURCES OF WASTE
Radioactive waste comes from a number of sources. The majority of waste
originates from the nuclear fuel cycle and nuclear weapons reprocessing. Other
sources include medical and industrial wastes, as well as naturally occurring
radioactive materials (NORM) that can be concentrated as a result of the
processing or consumption of coal, oil and gas, and some minerals
PREVENTION OF WASTE
A theoretical way to reduce waste accumulation is to phase out current
reactors in favour of Generation IV Reactors or Liquid Fluoride Thorium
Reactors, which output less waste per power generated. Fast reactors can
theoretically consume some existing waste, but the UK's Nuclear
Decommissioning Authority described this technology as immature and
commercially unproven, and unlikely to start before 2050.
MANAGEMENT OF WASTE

In second half of 20th century, several methods of disposal of radioactive waste
were investigated by nuclear nations. Which are?
"Long term above ground storage", not implemented.
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"Disposal in outer space", not implemented.
"Deep borehole disposal", not implemented.
"Rock-melting", not implemented.
"Disposal at subduction zones", not implemented.
"Ocean disposal", done by the USSR, the United Kingdom, Switzerland,
the United States, Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Japan, Sweden,
Russia, Germany, Italy and South Korea. (195493) This is no longer
permitted by international agreements.
"Sub seabed disposal", not implemented, not permitted by international
agreements.
"Disposal in ice sheets", rejected in Antarctic Treaty
"Direct injection", done by USSR and USA.
RE-USE OF WASTE
Another option is to find applications for the isotopes in nuclear waste so as
to re-use them. Already, caesium-137, strontium-90 and a few other isotopes
are extracted for certain industrial applications such as food
irradiation and radioisotope thermoelectric generators. While re-use does not
eliminate the need to manage radioisotopes, it reduces the quantity of waste
produced.
The Nuclear Assisted Hydrocarbon Production Method, Canadian patent
application 2,659,302, is a method for the temporary or permanent storage of
nuclear waste materials comprising the placing of waste materials into one or
more repositories or boreholes constructed into an unconventional
oil formation. The thermal flux of the waste materials fracture the formation,
alters the chemical and/or physical properties of hydrocarbon material within
the subterranean formation to allow removal of the altered material. A mixture
of hydrocarbons, hydrogen, and/or other formation fluids are produced from
the formation. The radioactivity of high-level radioactive waste affords
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proliferation resistance to plutonium placed in the periphery of the repository
or the deepest portion of a borehole.
Breeder reactors can run on U-238 and transuranic elements, which comprise
the majority of spent fuel radioactivity in the 1000-100000 year time span.
Associated hazard warning signs

The trefoil symbol used to indicate ionising radiation.

2007 ISO radioactivity danger symbol intended for IAEA Category 1, 2 and 3
sources defined as dangerous sources capable of death or serious injury.

The dangerous goods transport classification sign for radioactive materials

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CONCLUSION
Modern waste management methods are far safer for people and the
environment than past practices.
Recycling and composting have grown fast in many countries.
Despite these advances, our prodigious consumption habits have created
more waste than ever before.
Difficult dilemmas include Superfund cleanup, safe disposal of
hazardous and radioactive waste, and local opposition to disposal sites.
These dilemmas indicate that the best solution to our problem is to
reduce our generation of waste.