Material generally occurring in a solid state and deemed useless. There are three general classes: 1. trash discarded by households and businesses, much of which is recyclable, and is usually dumped into landfills and covered with earth; 2. excrement eliminated through the large intestine, and 3. Hazardous waste, comprising solids containing materials toxic to life, including radioactive materials.
Garbage, rubbish, trash, refuse, or sludge, as well as other discarded materials produced by agricultural, community, industrial, home, medical, mining, or municipal processes. Efforts to limit the environmental impact of solid waste, from the point of production through recovery processes to disposal and recycling, are known as solid waste management.