As a nation we throw away more than ever. And with increasing landfill taxes and concerns over the environment, burying it all in a hole in the ground is no longer an option. Bigger and better solutions to our waste problems are needed and Newcastle and the Northeast are helping lead the way. Giant incinerators turn rubbish into electricity, industrial plants turn waste into compost and machines the size of jumbo jets shred old cars into fragments of metal that are sold around the world and reused. A new future for our rubbish is coming.