Current practice is to deposit the waste into municipal waste landfills, using the municipal waste transportation system or a specialized industrial waste transportation company. Liquid wastes are dumped into the sewage system. All Chilean cities have municipal sewers. Biological treatment plants are being operated at a limited number of sites. The sea is widely used for disposal of liquid waste.
Paper mills dump wastes into rivers or the sea with little or no pretreatment.
New paper mill plants are installing primary and secondary treatment facilities and cleaner production technologies. There are very few cases of transboundary movement of hazardous waste in Chile. One of the most important governmental action plans to control hazardous waste generation is the promotion of cleaner production technologies, mainly in small and medium-sized industries. There are currently over 1,000 decrees, rules, resolutions of Ministries and laws concerning waste management. However, disbursements were delayed until after a study of downstream impacts was completed.