2.+History+of+the+issue

The oldest evidence of landfill can be dated back to 3000 BC, in the Cretan capital of Knossos (Waste Watch).

This began the practice of landfill that would eventually become the cause of destruction of the earth.

In the pre-industrial years, waste was mostly biodegradable and combustibles as the food and materials were based on the domestication of food plants and animals. When they were disposed underground, they acted as compost and as a result, were able to aid in improving the soil. Furthermore, people lived in smaller communities, leaving only little waste. The 18th and 19th centuries brought about change in the manufacture of goods as mass production became the dominant system in the capitalist economy. More toxic wastes that had the potential of damaging the environment were being produced. However, it was not until the rise of population in the mid 20th century that threatened the space of mankind.

As the fertility rate increased, especially during the generation of baby boomers, the land space needed for garbage disposal declined, which made waste management a bigger concern. Numerous regulations were established in the 1990s such as the landfill tax to promote waste minimisation.