The management of solid waste involves decreasing the amount of solid waste generated (reduce and reuse) and disposed (recycle and recover). Canada and the United States have adopted ambitious targets--as much as 50 percent reduction and recycling of solid w aste 29 b y the year 2000. The United Kingdom has set targets for the recovery of 40 percent of all waste generated in England and Wales by 2005 (UKDETR 1998a). Me xico does not have any recycling goals.

A survey by the OECD tracks the total solid waste and the amounts generated per capita by municipalities . 30 Over all municipal waste increased 38.1 percent in the United States between 1980 and 1994, 43.7 percent in Canada between 1980 and 1992, and 44.8 percent in Mexico between 1991 and 1995. In the United Kingdom, household waste increased 29 percent between 1980 and 1 995 (figure 70). Soli d waste generated per capita increased 21.7 percent in the United States from the 1980 to 1994; 180 percent in Mexico between 1975 and 1995; 23.5 percent in Canada from 1980 to 1992; and 21.4 percent in the United Kingdom between 1980 and 19 95 (figure 71).

Most solid waste is buried in landfill sites. The United States disposes of 56.8 percent of its solid waste in landfills and incinerates 15.6 percent (United States Bureau of Census 1996: table 360). Canada disposes of 67.2 percent of its solid waste in landfills but only incinerates 3.0 percent (Christenson 1996). The United Kingdom disposes of over 70 percent of its waste in landfil ls. 31 M exico buries almost all of its garbage (99 percent) in either landfill sites or open air dumping sites (OECD 1997).

The heavy reliance on landfills has caused the fear that countries are running out of space for landfills but this popular belief is unfounded. Although many landfills are close to capacity, this is because they are designed to have a short life span. Thus, they are always scheduled to reach capacity and close within a few years of opening. There is no shortage of room for landfills. A single square of land, 114 km on each side and about 37 metres deep, could accommodate all of the garbage generated in the United States for 1000 ye ars. 32 Ca nada would require about one-tenth of this area. It is not a scarcity of land that inhibits the siting of landfills and incinerators but rather the high price of land close to urban areas and political pressure. When a site is chosen for garbage disposal, it becomes unavailable for other uses, and communities worry about odour, dust, litter, and scavenging animals that have been associated with landfills in the past. New sanitary landfill technology now being used greatly reduces these problems.

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Recycling, composting, and resource recovery all affect the total amount of waste disposed but recycling is not always economically feasible. In many cases, manufacturing products from recycled materials requires more resources and energy and produces more pollution than producing the same products from primary raw materials. In addition, recycling is not always environmentally desirable (Wiseman 1992). For instance, McDonald's decision to discontinue the use of polystyrene hamburger packaging has several unfortunate resource trade-offs. It requires 30 percent less energy to produce a polystyrene package than it does to produce the paperboard alternative; this means 46 percent less air pollution and 42 percent less water pollution (Scarlett 1991). Finally, recycling is not possible for all products. For example, it is impossible at current prices and with current technology to recycle burned out light bulbs, since these contain glass, interior coatings, adhesive cement, and two or three different metals (Environment Canada 1991c: [25]7).

According to the OECD, paper and cardboard recycling in the United States was 22 percent of consumption in 1980 but increased to 35 percent by 1994. 33 Gl ass recycling climbed from 5 percent to 23 percent of consumption over the same period. In Canada, paper and cardboard recycling rose from 20 percent in 1980 to 32 percent in 1992. Glass recycling was 12 percent of consumption in 1980, and rose to 17 percent in 1992. In Mexico, glass and paper recycling remained constant at 4 percent and 2 percent of consumption respectively between 1991 and 1995. In the United Kingdom between 1980 and 1995, glass recycling increased from 5 percent to 27 percent of consumption and paper and cardboard recycling increased from 32 percent to 35 percent (figures 72 and 73). 34