What Does
Municipal Waste Mean?
Municipal waste (MSW) is a type of waste that consists of typical, everyday items that are thrown away by the public. Municipal waste is typically called "garbage"or "trash" in the U.S. and "refuse" or "rubbish" in the U.K. The contents of what is called municipal waste vary from country to country depending on what systems are available with regard to recycling and how waste is disposed.
Safeopedia Explains Municipal Waste
In a well developed country with good recycling systems, municipal waste will mainly include items that cannot be recycled. These items that are not able to be recycled are disposed of in a landfill. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) produces a regular report, which shows figures regarding municipal waste and aims to reduce waste that is dumped in landfills. This will aid in EPA's efforts to stop human waste products from causing damage to our environment.