Effects of urbanization on municipal solid waste composition.

The generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) is related to various features of urbanization. In this study, a linear regression model was used to evaluate the effects of several urbanization indicators on the composition of MSW. Household population (P), area of urban planning (L), tap water penetration (W), electricity sold (El), number of operating factories (I), car density (T), education level (Ed), and annual revenue (R) were chosen as important indicators of urbanization. The five major categories of MSW-paper, food waste, plastic, metal, and glass-were also chosen for specific analysis, and MSW composition was found to be closely related to household population (P) (r2 > 0.8). The volume of one category of waste, food waste, was related to the industrialization indicator (r2 > 0.9). The total volume of MSW and the total volume of metal waste were linked with household population divided by tap water penetration (P/W) (r2 = 0.9903), and with annual revenue divided by tap water penetration (R/W) (r2 = 0.9364). The volume of plastic waste and glass waste generated, respectively, was related to annual revenue divided by education level (R/Ed) (r2 = 0.9814 vs. r2 = 0.9371). In addition, a case study of Taipei City indicated that MSW disposal fees should reflect not only household population (P) but also tap water penetration (W). This study provides valuable findings quantifying the effects of urbanization on MSW composition. The results will help governments and enterprises to efficiently evaluate and predict variation in MSW composition with reference to indicators of urbanization, thereby improving the management of waste.