Which sequence is part of the waste disposal hierarchy steps?

• A. Avoid, reduce, reuse, repair
• B. Reuse, disposal, reduce, repair
• C. Avoid, reduce, reuse, repair, recycle, energy recovery, disposal
• D. Recycle, repair, reuse, avoid

Answer: (C)

Waste management aims to prevent environmental impact by prioritizing actions from most to least preferable. The sequence shown follows that order exactly: avoid wasting in the first place, then reduce the amount of waste created, then reuse items, then repair them to extend their life, next recycle materials into new products, then recover energy from waste when recycling isn’t possible, and finally dispose of waste as a last resort. This progression mirrors how many curricula teach the hierarchy: keep waste out of the system first, and only discard what cannot be avoided, reused, recycled, or recovered.

Other options skip or jumble steps, which breaks the preferred progression.