Disposal is the authorised emplacement of waste in a disposal facility without the primary intention of retrieval.
Disposal may also include discharging radioactive wastes such as liquid and gaseous effluent into the environment within strict limits set and scrutinised by regulators or transferred from one site to another.
The type of disposal used depends on the waste. LAW can be recycled, reused, or placed in surface or near surface disposal facilities. It is the intention that HAW will be disposed of in deep geological disposal facilities or, subject to the appropriate policy and strategy decisions, near surface facilities could also be used for some waste.