Transfer of waste products to a landfill is still the cheapest and easiest option. Without government interference, polluting the environment will most likely continue.
However, the combination of pressure on available public space, and the desire to reduce pollution mean that continuing with mass landfill is not a realistic long-term waste management strategy. In addition, governments are often subject to international pressure or even legally binding agreements to reduce landfill.
The UK has targets in place to reduce waste sent to landfill. In particular, by 2020 biological municipal waste must be reduced to 10.2 million tons, equal to 35 percent of 1995 levels. The principal encouragement for achieving these targets is through a landfill tax.