Waste products of nuclear power generation

[PMC]

Modern reactor designs are apparently more efficient than the 1960s/70s designs which exist in the UK today, with reduced amounts of waste.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_waste

Maybe we should be looking at refining the designs further still, or perhaps looking toward fusion as a viable source of power?

[PMC]

Excellent question, but has two drawbacks:

1) Nuclear waste is very heavy therefore a very powerful rocket would be required to launch a small amount (by volume) of nuclear waste into space.  Added to this is the danger of a launch failure which could scatter fallout over a huge area if anything went wrong.

2) IIRC there is a non-proliferation treaty to prevent nuclear material being left in space.  This is ostensibly to ensure no-one builds an orbiting missile platform, but also applies to dumping waste as well.

Personally, my own feelings are that should we ever develop a safe and cheap means of reaching orbit (ie a space elevator) then the waste should be sent sunward.  

[PMC]

Chortle.