Introduction to Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)

Only one-third of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in the USA is processed through recycling or composting, primarily paper

Landfills are a major destination for MSW in the USA, highly regulated, and methane (CH4) production is either flared or collected

Methane from landfills is the third-largest human-related source, with the US aiming to increase capture for power generation

Collection of methane in landfills is only ~20-30% efficient

Recycling is on the rise in the USA, with different methods like multi-sort collection, dual stream, and single stream

Recycling reduces the need for virgin materials and contributes to sustainability

Composting and anaerobic digestion are alternatives to deal with food scraps (or sewage) and waste processing technologies

Renewable natural gas and waste-to-energy through incineration are waste processing technologies, with many assuming it's the best way to handle MSW but with trade-offs

Incinerators burn MSW to create heat for power production or to sell, while much of the MSW stream is energy-dense from fibers and plastics

Unrecyclable plastics and fibers residue can be turned into fuel pellets, solid recovered fuel (SRF), and used to displace fossil fuels

Linear Wasting System is not sustainable and the future of resources should be to view waste as a resource rather than waste

In Kuwait, MSW is a growing issue due to population growth and affluence, with households generating high levels of waste per capita

Kuwait lacks comprehensive recycling programs and awareness of negative health impacts, resulting in high levels of waste exported to other countries for processing

Recycling and waste management can be encouraged by governments through policies, awareness campaigns, and incentives for recycling

Developing countries such as Bangladesh and India recover/recycle a significant portion of their plastic waste compared to Kuwait, which exports it

A study in Kuwait reveals an average household generates 3322 kg/yr/person, and most of it is from household waste, mainly food

Kuwait's MSW capacity is below that of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in terms of kg/capita/day

Families with 8 or more members generate more than 11 kg of garbage daily, and most of the MSW is from household waste, mainly food, next plastic and paper.

Only one-third of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in the USA is processed through recycling or composting, primarily paper

Landfills are a major destination for MSW in the USA, highly regulated, and methane (CH4) production is either flared or collected

Methane from landfills is the third-largest human-related source, with the US aiming to increase capture for power generation

Collection of methane in landfills is only ~20-30% efficient

Recycling is on the rise in the USA, with different methods like multi-sort collection, dual stream, and single stream

Recycling reduces the need for virgin materials and contributes to sustainability

Composting and anaerobic digestion are alternatives to deal with food scraps (or sewage) and waste processing technologies

Renewable natural gas and waste-to-energy through incineration are waste processing technologies, with many assuming it's the best way to handle MSW but with trade-offs

Incinerators burn MSW to create heat for power production or to sell, while much of the MSW stream is energy-dense from fibers and plastics

Unrecyclable plastics and fibers residue can be turned into fuel pellets, solid recovered fuel (SRF), and used to displace fossil fuels

Linear Wasting System is not sustainable and the future of resources should be to view waste as a resource rather than waste

In Kuwait, MSW is a growing issue due to population growth and affluence, with households generating high levels of waste per capita

Kuwait lacks comprehensive recycling programs and awareness of negative health impacts, resulting in high levels of waste exported to other countries for processing

Recycling and waste management can be encouraged by governments through policies, awareness campaigns, and incentives for recycling

Developing countries such as Bangladesh and India recover/recycle a significant portion of their plastic waste compared to Kuwait, which exports it

A study in Kuwait reveals an average household generates 3322 kg/yr/person, and most of it is from household waste, mainly food

Kuwait's MSW capacity is below that of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in terms of kg/capita/day

Families with 8 or more members generate more than 11 kg of garbage daily, and most of the MSW is from household waste, mainly food, next plastic and paper.