ABSTRACT
In prehistoric times, waste was mainly composed of ash from fires, wood, bones and vegetable or bodily waste. It was disposed of into the ground, where it would act as a compost and help improve the soil. Waste began to be a problem as the transition came from hunter-gatherer to farmer. The industrial revolution led to a massive population shift from rural areas to the city between 1750 and 1850 in the UK. The growing population living in towns led to an increase in the volume of domestic waste arising, which was matched by the production of industrial waste from new large-scale manufacturing processes. As city populations expanded, space for disposal decreased and societies began to develop waste management systems.
