George Tchobanoglous

Frank Kreith

Marcia E. Williams

Human activities generate waste materials that are often discarded because they are considered useless. These wastes are normally solid, and the word waste suggests that the material is useless and unwanted. However, many of these waste materials can be reused, and thus they can become a resource for industrial production or energy generation, if managed properly. Waste management has become one of the most significant problems of our time because the American way of life produces enormous amounts of waste, and most people want to preserve their lifestyle, while also protecting the environment and public health. Industry, private citizens, and state legislatures are searching for means to reduce the growing amount of waste that American homes and businesses discard and to reuse it or dispose of it safely and economically. In recent years, state legislatures have passed more laws dealing with solid waste management than with any other topic on their legislative agendas. The purpose of this chapter is to provide background material on the issues and challenges involved in the management of municipal solid waste (MSW) and to provide a foundation for the information on specific technologies and management options presented in the subsequent chapters. Appropriate references for the material covered in this chapter will be found in the chapters that follow.