What practice can effectively reduce the volume of waste in landfills?

Source reduction is a practice that effectively reduces the volume of waste in landfills by minimizing waste generation at its origin. This approach focuses on reducing the amount of material being produced, thus preventing waste before it even occurs. Techniques used in source reduction include designing products to be more efficient, reducing packaging, and promoting practices that conserve resources.

By addressing waste at the point of creation, source reduction not only decreases the volume of waste that needs disposal but also conserves natural resources and energy, leading to a more sustainable approach to waste management. This proactive strategy is fundamental to effective waste management because it can lead to significant reductions in the overall generation of waste, which is essential in increasingly crowded landfills.

In contrast, incineration primarily alters the physical state of waste rather than preventing its generation. While it can reduce the volume of waste by converting some materials into ash and gases, it does not eliminate waste production itself. Landfilling simply involves placing waste into landfills without addressing the underlying issue of waste creation. Chemical treatment deals with the management of hazardous waste but does not focus on reducing the amount of waste generated. Each of these alternatives cannot compare to source reduction when it comes to minimizing landfill waste effectively.