Municipal Solid Waste: Using Our Refuse

This report characterizes the sources and current dispositions of MSW and trends, reviews policy and economic trends that are affecting the composition of the waste stream globally, and explores waste management strategies that will reduce the dependence on traditional landfilling and incineration. This report describes and analyzes the technologies and economics of recovering various material and energy resources from mixed MSW stream. It also looks at utilizing MSW fractions (such as food waste, paper and plastic) for producing energy, biofuels, and renewable chemicals, in a variety of key ways.