MSW | Lake Region Solid Wa

Municipal Solid Waste

What is Municipal Solid Waste?

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), commonly known as trash or garbage, refers to everyday items discarded by the public from households, schools, businesses, and institutions. MSW consists of both organic and inorganic materials, but typically does not include hazardous waste, industrial waste, or construction/demolition debris.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

Food wrappers and packaging
Disposable diapers
Broken household items
Non-recyclable plastics
Contaminated paper
Styrofoam
Furniture
Rubber, Lather & Textiles

Management and Environmental Impact

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment's (KDHE) Bureau of Waste Management administers permits to ensure all solid waste facilities are operated in a manner that protects human health and the environment. Waste is managed through recycling, composting, combustion (waste-to-energy), and landfilling.

KDHE has set a goal of reducing waste disposed in landfills by 1% per year.

Kansas Waste Statistics & Facts

The average Kansan generates over 3/4 of a ton of trash annually. In the Kansas City region alone, residents produce more than 7 pounds of trash per person, per day.
Roughly 33% of Kansas MSW is recycled. Over 170,000 tons of organic waste are turned into compost annually rather than going to landfills.
In SFY 2024, 5,951,737 pounds of Household Hazardous Waste were collected from 89,107 participants, an increase of 444,280 pounds from the previous year.
For every 1 ton of trash thrown away, about 70 tons of waste are generated upstream during product manufacturing and transportation.
While local data varies, typical municipal solid waste in the region consists largely of organic materials, including: Paper and Paperboard: ~31% Yard Trimmings & Food Scraps: ~26% Plastics: ~12% Metals: ~8% Rubber, Leather, and Textiles: ~8%

Municipal Solid Waste

Kansas Waste Statistics & Facts

The average Kansan generates over 3/4 of a ton of trash annually. In the Kansas City region alone, residents produce more than 7 pounds of trash per person, per day.

Roughly 33% of Kansas MSW is recycled. Over 170,000 tons of organic waste are turned into compost annually rather than going to landfills.

​In SFY 2024, 5,951,737 pounds of ​Household Hazardous Waste were collected from 89,107 participants, an increase of 444,280 pounds from the previous year.

For every 1 ton of trash thrown away, about 70 tons of waste are generated upstream during product manufacturing and transportation.

​While local data varies, typical municipal solid waste in the region consists largely of organic materials, including: Paper and Paperboard: ~31% Yard Trimmings & Food Scraps: ~26% Plastics: ~12% Metals: ~8% Rubber, Leather, and Textiles: ~8%

In SFY 2024, 5,951,737 pounds of Household Hazardous Waste were collected from 89,107 participants, an increase of 444,280 pounds from the previous year.

While local data varies, typical municipal solid waste in the region consists largely of organic materials, including: Paper and Paperboard: ~31% Yard Trimmings & Food Scraps: ~26% Plastics: ~12% Metals: ~8% Rubber, Leather, and Textiles: ~8%