ABSTRACT
Modern society generates enormous amounts of industrial and commercial waste, some of which is very dangerous to human health and poses a serious threat to the environment. Over one hundred million tonnes of waste is produced in England and Wales alone every year, to say nothing of the millions of tonnes of liquid waste and sewerage effluent pumped into our rivers and the marine environment (see below, Waste Strategy 2000, pp 431-39). The modern legal response to the problem of waste has been to adopt a holistic approach first to minimise the generation of waste by, for example, encouraging efficient technology and reducing packaging; by providing incentives for recycling and reuse of materials; and finally by setting strict environmental controls for disposing of waste. At present four main options exist for disposing of waste: dumping at sea, exporting across national boundaries, incineration and landfill. Each of these options carry adverse environmental consequences and require a balancing between environmental and economic costs taking account of what is technically feasible. The challenge confronting us is to ensure that the balance achieved is sustainable.
