Abstract: Solid Waste and Recycling

For many people, the term “out of sight, out of mind” would be most appropriate for describing municipal solid waste management. The responsibility ends once the item is put in the trash. In these times of increasing regulatory oversight and societal pressures, this is the last sentiment that facilities management administrators can have about the waste generated at their institutions. Instead, we must be concerned with the eventual disposition of an item before it is even purchased.

This chapter will attempt to explain the importance of solid waste management at universities, define solid waste, and outline various approaches to solid waste disposal. Just as there is no one plan for solid waste disposal that all institutions can use, there is not just one strategy that will work within an institution. Instead, an integrated approach that relies on the hierarchy of reduction, reuse, recycling, and disposal is needed to effectively manage your institution’s municipal solid waste.