Solutions to the waste problem

There are four common principles  for better waste management and several ways to tackle the waste problem:

• decrease the consumption of energy and raw materials;

• recycle  waste materials;

• reuse  products as many times as possible;

• burn  waste in order to extract and utilise all potential energy and to diminish their size (incineration);

• bury  waste in landfills (pits and ditches); and

• compost  organic matter.

However, most waste treatment techniques also have some environmental impacts .