Currently more than 100,000 tonnes of radioactive waste is stored in the UK, awaiting final disposal. The majority of the existing UK nuclear power stations will need to be decommissioned in the next 20-30 years, which will generate a substantial amount of radioactive waste to be disposed. The UK currently has no long-term solution. In 2002 the Government formed the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) to make recommendations by the end of 2006 on the best option or combination of options in managing the UKs solid radioactive waste. The Royal Society has a long standing interest in the scientific aspects of this problem.