Municipal skolid waste (MSW) is a waste type that includes predominantly household waste (domestic waste) with sometimes the addition of commercial wastes collected by a municipality within a given area. They are in either solid or semisolid form and generally exclude industrial hazardous wastes. The term residual waste relates to waste left from household sources containing materials that have not been separated out or sent for reprocessing .

There are five broad categories of MSW:

• Biodegradable waste: food and kitchen waste, green waste, paper (can also be recycled).
• Recyclable material: paper, glass, bottles, cans, metals, certain plastics, etc.
• Inert waste: construction and demolition waste, dirt, rocks, debris.
• Composite wastes: waste clothing, Tetra Paks, waste plastics such as toys.
• Domestic hazardous waste (also called "household hazardous waste") & toxic waste: medication, paints, chemicals, light bulbs, fluorescent tubes, spray cans, fertilizer and pesticide containers, batteries, shoe polish.