Editing Radioactive waste (section)

=== Low-level waste ===
{{main|Low-level waste}}
Low-level waste (LLW) is generated from hospitals and industry, as well as the [[nuclear fuel cycle]]. Low-level wastes include paper, rags, tools, clothing, filters, and other materials which contain small amounts of mostly short-lived radioactivity. Materials that originate from any region of an Active Area are commonly designated as LLW as a precautionary measure even if there is only a remote possibility of being contaminated with radioactive materials. Such LLW typically exhibits no higher radioactivity than one would expect from the same material disposed of in a non-active area, such as a normal office block. Example LLW includes wiping rags, mops, medical tubes, laboratory animal carcasses, and more.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NRC: Low-Level Waste |url=https://www.nrc.gov/waste/low-level-waste.html |access-date=2018-08-17 |website=www.nrc.gov |publisher=U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission |language=en-us}}</ref> LLW makes up 94% of all radioactive waste volume in the UK. Most of it is disposed of in [[Cumbria]], first in landfill style trenches, and now using [[grout]]ed metal containers that are stacked in concrete vaults. A new site in the north of [[Scotland]] is the [[Dounreay]] site which is prepared to withstand a 4m tsunami.<ref name=":0" />[https://www.highland.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/23061/dounreay_and_vulcan_nrte_offsite_emergency_plan.pdf]

Some high-activity LLW requires shielding during handling and transport but most LLW is suitable for shallow land burial. To reduce its volume, it is often compacted or incinerated before disposal. Low-level waste is divided into four classes: ''class A'', ''class B'', ''class C'', and ''Greater Than Class C'' (''GTCC'').