Options for waste disposal

Waste disposal processes aim to isolate the waste from people and the environment in a manner that causes no harm. The best option for dealing with any particular waste depends on the nature of the waste itself (its form, composition and quantity), the technologies available in the region, the availability of financial resources, and having enough skilled people to build, operate and maintain the facilities. In most low-income countries, two main waste disposal processes are widely used: landfill, including burial and dumping, and thermal processing, which includes burning and incineration. Different methods of landfill and thermal processing are described in the following sections.