Abstract
Waste is a complex societal problem that brings together various stakeholders in order to manage it. However, a lack of sufficient information on the quantities and types of material in the waste stream can make sustainable waste management difficult. Since waste in one sector can be valuable as a resource in another, there is a need to understand the distribution of materials within the resource stream, especially those that go to landfill. Current work is seeking to address this; whilst much material is already recycled, this is not the only management option and there remain several problematic materials/components to be removed from residual waste. This paper, the first of two case studies, presents a more comprehensive waste composition specification in order to better manage municipal waste. In developing this approach, waste composition specifications currently in use have been reviewed and compared with the solid municipal (household) waste collected at community recycling centres and from the kerbside. Key primary and secondary descriptors for the better management of resources arising from municipal waste have been determined, and the impact of these changes on the information arising from composition analysis is discussed.