2 Methods of waste disposal Until recently, the disposal of municipal solid waste did not attract much public attention. From prehistory through the present day, the favored means of disposal was simply to dump solid wastes outside of the city or village limits or in the back 40 Jinan University2 Methods of waste disposal ◼ Until recently, the disposal of municipal solid waste did not attract much public attention. From prehistory through the present day, the favored means of disposal was simply to dump solid wastes outside of the city or village limits or in the “back 40