As a result of the high priority given by national and regional governments around the world to find a solution to the growing problem of effectively disposing of household waste there is a race on to find a viable alternative to traditional forms of disposal such as landfill or mass burn incineration.   New technologies are being applied to the delivery of more efficient systems of recycling household waste and in particular to the separation of recyclable materials (such as metals, glass and plastics) and the conversion of the residual biodegradable materials into useful and saleable products.