Abstract
Through reviewing the definitions of waste and municipal solid waste described in existing reports and studies, this article aimed to revisit definitions of waste and municipal solid waste, clarify municipal solid waste and other related waste streams, and make recommendation to identify the sources and types of waste defined as municipal solid waste when comparable data on municipal solid waste generation at municipal level and national level are collected and compiled. The definitions of waste and municipal solid waste can differ from country to country, however, municipal solid waste can refer to the waste which municipalities manage as a public service. Following such a definition, municipal solid waste can exclude recyclables collected by others and waste disposed of by waste generators, and all that municipalities have to do is focus on above-mentioned municipal solid waste for analyzing data on municipal solid waste generation and its intensity. The sources and types of municipal solid waste should be identified when data on municipal solid waste generation and its intensity are collected and compiled, otherwise it would be no use to compare the data with those in other municipalities and/or nations.
