Waste management practices differ for
developed and developing nations, for urban and rural areas, and for
residential and industrial producers. MSW is thus seen as primarily coming from
households but also includes wastes from offices, hotels, shopping
complexes/shops, schools, institutions, and from municipal services such as
street cleaning and maintenance of recreational areas.
Residential and commercial types of
solid waste include food wastes, paper, cardboard, plastics, textiles, glass,
metals, and ashes, special wastes like bulky items, consumer electronics,
batteries, oil, tires and household hazardous wastes.
Institutions types of solid waste
include paper, cardboard, plastics, wood, food wastes, glass, metals, special
wastes, hazardous wastes.
Municipal services types of solid waste
include Street sweepings, landscape and tree trimmings, general wastes from
parks, beaches, and other recreational areas.
Therefore, the major types of MSW are
food wastes, paper, plastic, rags, metal and glass, with some hazardous
household wastes such as electric light bulbs, batteries, discarded medicines
and automotive parts