After the fire dies down, there is a waste product left in the bottom of the fireplace. We call this waste, ashes. The ashes must be cleaned out of the fireplace. The ashes may be put outside on the ground without harming the environment. When nuclear energy is used, the waste product left is nuclear waste.
Nuclear waste is almost impossible to dispose of.
Nuclear waste releases invisible rays or tiny particles called nuclear radiation. Unlike ash, nuclear radiation in large amounts is deadly to all forms of life. Some of the radioactive wastes remain dangerous for thousands, even millions of years. They could outlast any container in which they are stored. This powerful energy source causes a lot of controversy over its use.