ABSTRACT
Waste is something most people like to forget. Conventionally, waste is divided into categories according to three main sources: human settlements activities, industrial, and agricultural sources. In the beginning of the twenty-first century there is a major global contrast between human settlements that have controlled, tightly regulated sanitary landfills and those that have poorly regulated rubbish dumps. In thirteenth-century Britain, waste was burned on open fires in houses, or, with sewage, was thrown out into the streets. Despite the growth of waste dumps, over the centuries there was also much recycling of waste materials. By 1000 bc, in Europe, bronze was recovered from waste and re-used, and composting was practised in China. Both municipal and industrial solid waste generation continues to expand. Wealth is the key factor in how much solid waste a city produces. Former waste dumps change their characteristics and land uses over time and eventually only historical archives and old maps retain the record of their origin.
