It is amazing what people will dispose of in a rubbish tip: washing machines, chairs, cars, computers etc. can all be found somewhere in a tip. In Germany some towns and cities have a system by which each suburban street is allocated one day each year to dump anything they like. If other people can get there early enough, they can often pick up some little treasures. The things they find may need a touch of paint, some nailing, gluing or a couple of screws. At the end of the day, the local authorities dispose of the leftovers.

A similar system operates in other parts of world where ‘Hard and Green Waste’ collections are held. Set days may be allocated to individual areas, or residents might be told to have their waste placed on road verges (nature strips) prior to the week beginning on a certain date. This allows the waste collectors more flexibility in their pickups, as the types and amounts of waste put out can vary considerably from collection to collection. It also allows other people with permits i.e. second-hand dealers and people collecting scrap metal, more time to rummage through the waste for interesting items.

This course lays a foundation for a wide range of work and business opportunities. Waste management industries today involve not only collection and transport of waste; but also treatment, disposal and recycling. Many small and large businesses have been developed with the sole purpose of turning unwanted waste, into valuable products; and in doing so, reducing the quantity of pollutants that our modern world needs to deal with.