Household wastes that cannot be recycled are best disposed when buried instead of incineration or composting. This was concluded in a study conducted by the Centre for Social and Economic Research on the Global Environment at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, the UK, and the London-based firm Coopers and Lybrands. The study was sponsored by the European Commission. The findings contradict a European directive issued in 1991 that said landfills should only be considered as a last resort. The study assessed the environmental costs of recycling, incineration, composting, and landfill across the European Union. Environmental costs included the impact of pollution generated while handling and transporting waste. Composting was found to be the least viable of the options ( New Scientist , Vol 154, No 2087).