If we are considering waste management then we have to look at the whole cycle of waste and how we deal with it. For most of us waste begins at the supermarket and ends by putting the dustbin out for the "bin men" once a week. For the government it has become more and more important as landfill sites fill up, people become more concerned with the pollutants associated with waste disposal and Europe produces more legislation to control what we do with our waste.

But first let us consider what we mean by waste.