Waste management is an interdisciplinary field concerned with the collection, processing, and disposal of waste materials to minimize environmental impact. Core practices revolve around the waste hierarchy, prioritizing source reduction and reuse before moving to recovery and disposal. Recovery methods include composting and anaerobic digestion, which treat organic waste by biological breakdown processes—aerobic for composting, and anaerobic for generating biogas—thereby stabilizing materials and producing useful resources. Disposal techniques vary widely, ranging from engineered sanitary landfill systems that manage leachate and gas emissions, to advanced thermal treatment facilities that utilize controlled combustion for energy generation. Effective management strategies focus on material science principles to maximize resource efficiency and mitigate pollution potential across all stages of the waste lifecycle.