Even now in smaller Chinese towns/villages it is largely burned. In large cities the practice is banned b/c pollution though.

US military bases as well, which have "burn barrels", and seem to have resulting health impacts as a consequence.

https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/burnpits/index.asp

https://www.publicintegrity.org/2015/02/12/16751/us-troops-b...

Burning waste is not uncommon in general: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incineration#Trends_in_inciner...

A modern incinerator is probably safer and less polluting than a simple garbage fire, though.

If you're a nomad I'd think your waste management strategy does not need to be very complex.

Yeah, if your tooling is based on wood, stone, clay etc, any "waste" left behind is entirely benign anyway. No plastics, heavy metals etc

Well there is bodily waste still.

Or what I refer to generally has "hygiene factors" -- removal of human and animal wastes, trash, smoke, crime. Various systemic negative consequences of activity.

Entropy.

The US military still does. Sometimes burning new equipment never used.

Farms in the first world still do this.