Every human activity generates waste, meaning products which have no use, whether they are harmful or not. Whether they are industrial, scientific or medical, nuclear activities are no exception to the rule and some of the waste products that they produce are radioactive, sometimes considerably more radioactive than substances that are naturally present in the environment.
Nuclear waste comes from the daily operation of the power plants but also from the fuel cycle and the future decommissioning of the plants. The waste products are dealt with according to their level of radioactivity and their life span. Electricity generation is not the only activity that produces radioactive waste. It also comes from scientific research, medical and agribusiness applications, etc.
