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Solid waste refers to materials regulated by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and includes both hazardous and non-hazardous waste. Under RCRA, only materials that meet the definition of solid waste can be classified as hazardous wastes. In 2018, about 146.1 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) were landfilled in the United States, with food being the largest component at about 24 percent, followed by plastics at over 18 percent, and paper and paperboard at about 12 percent. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines solid waste as any material that is discarded and not subject to an exclusion or variance, which includes materials that are abandoned, recycled, or inherently waste-like. The EPA also provides information on best practices for waste management and has developed tools for identifying appropriate waste staging and storage.
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