Page 45 - Solid Waste Analysis and Minimization a Systems Approach

A BRIEF HISTORY OF SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT 23

agriculture and settlement. It occurred in various independent prehistoric human
societies between 10 to 12 thousand years ago. During this time frame, the concept
and need for solid waste management was not a key concern. Trash removal was
strictly convenience related, where there were no guidelines to disposing of solid
waste; individuals could dump their waste wherever they saw fit, with little to no
intervention. Very few documented records exist that relate to solid waste manage-
ment prior to 3000 B.C. What is known is that societies operated under a convenience
mentality, lacking guidelines or regulations related to solid waste management.
During this time frame most households and small communities deposited waste
within or just outside their villages based on group consensus. The first recorded
landfill sites were discovered in the Cretan capital, Knossos, in 3000 B.C. Waste was
placed in large pits and covered with earth at various levels. The first documented
solid waste management regulation occurred in the city of Athens, Greece, in 500 B.C.
At that time, the city of Athens organized the first municipal dump in the Western
world where citizens were required to dispose of their waste at least 1 mile from the
city walls.

2.2.2 THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION AND THE MACHINE AGE:
MID-1700s TO THE EARLY 1910s

In the mid-1700s, the world economies underwent a major shift from an agricultural
base to an industrial base, as societies became larger and more organized. The
Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when
major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, and transportation had a profound effect
on socioeconomic and cultural conditions around the world. It started with the mech-
anization of the textile industries, the development of iron-making techniques, and the
increased use of refined coal. Trade expansion was enabled by the introduction of
canals, improved roads, and railways. The introduction of steam power (fuelled pri-
marily by coal) and powered machinery (mainly in textile manufacturing) under-
pinned the dramatic increases in production capacity. The development of all-metal
machine tools in the first two decades of the 19th century facilitated the manufacture
of more production machines for manufacturing in other industries. The effects spread
throughout Western Europe and North America during the 19th century, eventually
affecting most of the world. The shift to an industrial base had major impacts on the
types and amounts of waste being generated, and introduced a new set of concerns.
Specifically, solid waste management shifted toward a cleanliness and public health
movement to eradicate diseases. Following is a brief timeline of the major events
related to solid waste management during this time frame:

1690––The first paper recycling mill in the United States using recycled fibers
(including waste paper and old rags) is established at the Rittenhouse Mill near
Philadelphia.

1757––Benjamin Franklin institutes the first municipal street-cleaning service in
the United States, in Philadelphia; at the same time, American households begin
digging refuse pits instead of throwing garbage out of windows and doors.