1388 – The English Parliament bans dumping of waste in ditches and public waterways.
1551 – The first recorded use of packaging: German papermaker Andreas Bernhart begins placing his paper in wrappers labeled with his name and address.
1657 – New Amsterdam (now Manhattan) passes a law against casting waste in the streets.
1690 – Rittenhouse Mill, America’s first paper mill, opens in Philadelphia making paper from recycled cotton and linen as well as used paper.
Around 1350 Britain passed a law mandating a clean front yard. However the law is not taken too seriously. Most garbage is still burned outside in fires.
Around 1407 there is another law passed in Britain declaring waste must be stored inside until rakers remove it.
Due to lack of new ideas and real motivation, there was not much to do with your waste during this time period. People would either burn their personal trash and bury it, or let it pile up. Nobody saw garbage as a threat to way of life until population boomed.