To make waste management more effective, federal, state, tribal and local governments adopted an integrated approach to waste management. This strategic approach involves a mix of the following three waste management techniques:

• Decreasing the amount and/or toxicity of waste that must be disposed of by producing less waste to begin with (source reduction)
• Increasing recycling of materials such as paper, glass, steel, plastic and aluminum, thus recovering these materials rather than discarding them
• Providing safer disposal capacity by improving the design and management of incinerators and landfills

• Criteria for Solid Waste Disposal Facilities: A Guide for Owners/Operators (PDF)(22 pp, 2 MB, March 1993, EPA/530-SW-91-089)
  EPA's continuing mission to establish the minimum national standards for landfill design, operation, and management that will enhance landfill safety and boost public confidence in landfills as a component of a workable integrated waste management system.