Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District
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MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is commonly called garbage, trash or rubbish. MSW is what you might find in your waste can at home as such paper, plastic, glass, metal cans, boxes, clothing, food waste, yard waste, wrapping, appliances, furniture etc... In Cuyahoga County, we generate over 3.7 million tons of waste each year. Most of the waste is disposed of in landfills outside of Cuyahoga County.

An average person throws away 5 pounds of trash per day. What would your classroom produce? 5 pounds x # of students = _______.
Modern landfills have safety measures to limit environmental and human health problems. They are built with protective liners, which prevent leachate (a toxic liquid) from seeping into the soil and groundwater. Pipes are strategically placed throughout the landfill to extract methane gas, a flammable gas, which can explode. Finally, waste is covered daily with a thick layer of soil to prevent odors and eliminate scavenging animals.

Solid Waste Classroom Activities

Grades K-3: Disappearing Trash

Grades 4-6: Are you helping our environment?

Grades 7-12: ISW: Environmental Ethics and Consumers

Grades 8-10: Investigating Solid Waste (ISW): Where on Earth

Web Resources for MSW
EPA Office of Solid Waste
Solid Waste Association of North America
Waste Industries, Inc.
Packaging and the Environment
Recycling Product News
Californians Against Waste
The Green Shopper Program in Canada
Waste Age for Waste Industry Professionals


Home Cuyahoga County
Solid Waste District

323 Lakeside Ave W, Suite 400
Cleveland, Ohio 44113-1009
Tel: 216-443-3749
Fax: 216-443-3737
[email protected]