Which waste management practice involves preparing waste to meet safety standards before burial?

The practice of preparing waste to meet safety standards before burial is referred to as treatment. Treatment processes involve various methods designed to make waste safer for disposal, which can include physical, chemical, or biological modifications that reduce pathogens, toxins, and other harmful components. By ensuring the waste is treated appropriately, it minimizes the potential risks associated with burial, such as leaching of hazardous materials into the soil and groundwater.

In contrast, sorting, inertization, and segregation serve different purposes in waste management. Sorting involves categorizing waste into different types for appropriate disposal or recycling, whereas segregation is the process of separating waste at the point of generation to ensure that hazardous materials are kept separate from non-hazardous ones. Inertization refers to the process of stabilizing hazardous waste, making it non-leachable and safe, but it does not encompass the broader range of treatment methods available. Therefore, treatment is the most inclusive and accurate term for preparing waste to meet necessary safety standards before burial.