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Scientists have considered disposing of nuclear wastes in the ice at Antarctica or Greenland. This would involve placing waste containers on the surface or in a shallow hole where the heat from the waste would cause them to slowly melt to the bottom of the ice sheet. Cables could be used to anchor the waste containers to limit the descent depth and to allow retrieval. Advantages to this option include the lack of population in polar regions and the stability and thickness of polar ice.

As with sub-seabed or remote island disposal, transportation of the waste would be a challenge. Another drawback to this option is the potential effect of future climate changes on the stability and size of polar ice masses. Radioactive wastes could be released into the environment if global climate changes increased polar ice melting. This option also would be extremely expensive due to the remote locations and adverse weather. Finally, the Antarctic Treaty of 1959 prohibits disposing of radioactive waste on the Antarctic continent.