This text provides a look at solid waste management in North America and seeks solutions to the waste crisis. It describes the magnitude and complexity of the problem, focusing on municipal wastes and placing them in the perspective of wastes such as hazardous, biochemical, and radioactive debris.

The Waste Crisis is unique in its attempt to analyse waste management in a broader societal context and to propose solutions based on basic principles. And by doing so, it encourages readers to challenge commonly held perceptions and to seek new and better ways of dealing with waste. As such, this book deserves a place on the bookshelf of anyone who deals with or feels the need to confront the growing problems of waste management.

The waste crisis
starting from basics
historical perspectives
integrated waste management
recycling and composting

wastes - know thy enemy
landfills - how do they work?
are
there better disposal methods?
incineration - the burning issue
containment, encapsulation, and treatment
case histories
the all-powerful NIMBY
a new approach
garbology - a vision for the future.