The History of Waste Management

About the lecture

In this module, we think about the historical development of waste management systems, focusing on: (i) the emergence of waste as a health problem in the 18th century as a result of industrialisation, population growth, and urbanisation; (ii) the gradual development of council-operated waste collection and disposal in London and other UK cities up to the early 20th century; (iv) other systems across the world, for example in the US and Japan, and the role of factors such as land availability in the strategies different countries adopt; (v) the relationship between economic development, urbanisation, and the adoption by countries of different waste management approaches.

About the lecturer

Professor Ian Williams is Professor of Applied Environmental Science at the University of Southampton. He researches a range of topics related to environmental sustainability, including waste and resource management, air and water pollution, and circular economies. His publications include Air Pollution: Measurement, Modelling and Mitigation (co-author, 2018) and Environmental Chemistry (2001).