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Municipal Solid Waste Publications
Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: Facts and Figures
Across the country, many communities, businesses, and individuals have found creative ways to reduce and better manage Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) - more commonly known as trash or garbage - through a coordinated mix of practices that includes source reduction, recycling (including composting), and disposal. The most environmentally sound management of MSW is achieved when these approaches are implemented according to EPA's preferred order:
source reduction first, recycling and composting second, and disposal in landfills or waste combustors last.
This section describes the requirements for disposal and combustion of Municipal Solid Waste:
- Landfills are engineered areas where waste is placed into the land.
- Waste combustors burn MSW at a high temperature, reducing waste volume and generating electricity.
- Transfer Stations are facilities where municipal solid waste is unloaded from collection vehicles and briefly held while it is reloaded onto larger, long-distance transport vehicles for shipment to landfills or other treatment or disposal facilities.
Follow the links below for information on how to reduce the amount of MSW disposed of in the US:
- Source reduction: Altering the design, manufacture, or use of products and materials to reduce the amount and toxicity of what gets thrown away.
- Recycling: Sorting, collecting, and processing materials to manufacture and sell them as new products.
- Composting: Decomposing organic waste, such as food scraps and yard trimmings, with microorganisms (mainly bacteria and fungi) to produce compost. Compost is organic material that can be used as a soil amendment or as a medium to grow plants.
