Solid wastes

Municipal solid waste is the end product of many interacting factors: (1) large populations, (2) high per capita consumption, (3) low product durability, (4) a rash of disposable products, (5) low reuse and recycling rates, (6) a lack of personal governmental commitment to reduce waste.
There are three main approaches: (1) input approach - attempts to reduce excessive consumption, to increase product durability (lifespan), to reduce overpackaging, and others, (2) throughput approach - reducing solid waste production by reusing and recycling materials before they enter waste stream, (3) output approach - finding better ways of dealing with trash - most often this means incinerating trash or finding ways to build safer landfills.