How was garbage disposal handled in different historical periods,

Most of our trash today is like plastics and shit which didnt exist until the 20th century

>>2970399
So wood and other organic materials were left to degrade? What about metals, glass, and pottery?

To this day we still are having trouble with our sewer and waste water disposal.

Back in the day processed or craftered materials were not as endemic as they are now.

>>2970399
Even in the 20th century plastic was rare enough that people would reuse most of the bags and containers they got for free (I don't know about the US who were always irresponsible, but that's what they did in the poorer parts of the West and most of the world.) Glass bottles were returned.
It's really in the late 20th century that the contemporary practice of individually wrapping every stupid thing with non-reusable packaging came about.

File: monte-testaccio-76.jpg (140KB, 798x510px) Image search: [Google]

140KB, 798x510px

>>2970405
Literally just left someplace

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monte_Testaccio

>>2970405
>pottery
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostracon