This Guide has been developed particularly for solid waste management practitioners, such as local government officials, facility owners and operators, consultants, and regulatory agency specialists. Contains technical and economic information to help these practitioners meet the daily challenges of planning, managing, and operating municipal solid waste (MSW) programs and facilities. The Guide's primary goals are to encourage reduction of waste at the source and to foster implementation of integrated solid waste management systems that are cost-effective and protect human health and the environment. Illustrated.

A comprehensive, single-source reference of current issues in solid waste management designed as an aid in decision-making and assessment of future trends. Covers public perceptions, legislation, regulation, planning and financing, and technologies and operation. Reviews the evolution of waste management since the passage of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, amended in 1978, 1980 and 1984. Examines common and divergent public and private concerns, including an in-depth review of public perceptions and their effect on planning and implementation. Also includes a discussion of the inadequacies of most waste quantity and composition estimates, with techniques for adequate evaluation. Looks at the misunderstanding and controversy over source separation and issues in municipal resource recovery from the viewpoint of the private scrap process industry. Also includes an unprecedented examination of the problem of bulky waste logistics and its effect on current disposal practice, and case histories and the current status of energy recovery from industrial waste. With over 500 tables, graphs, and illustrations.