Environmentally sound management refers to which practice?

• A. Random disposal.
• B. Incineration without controls.
• C. Exporting waste.
• D. Safe handling and disposal practices.

Answer: (D)

Environmentally sound management is about handling and disposing of waste and hazardous substances in a way that minimizes risk to people and the environment throughout their life cycle. Safe handling and disposal practices embody this by ensuring proper storage, containment, labeling, control of releases, and appropriate treatment and final disposal. They aim to prevent pollution, accidents, and exposure from production to end-of-life. The other options describe practices that undermine safety: random disposal is uncontrolled and unpredictable; incineration without controls can release harmful pollutants; exporting waste can shift problems to other places or bypass safeguards. Because safe handling and disposal practices address the full lifecycle of waste with proper controls, they best reflect environmentally sound management.