A municipal solid waste (MSW) facility may accept various types
of municipal solid waste for processing or disposal,
depending on the type of facility. An MSW facility may also accept
certain special wastes and nonhazardous industrial
solid wastes if approved by the TCEQ executive director.
Types of Solid Waste
Solid waste includes garbage, rubbish, refuse, sludge
from a wastewater treatment plant, water supply treatment plant, or
air pollution control facility, and other discarded material,
including solid, liquid, semisolid, or contained gaseous material
resulting from industrial, municipal, commercial, mining, and
agricultural operations and from community and institutional
activities.
Soil, dirt, rock, sand, and other inert solid materials,
whether natural or of human origin, used to fill land are not
classified as waste if the object of the fill is to make the land
suitable for the construction of surface improvements.
Solid waste does not include waste materials that result from
activities associated with the exploration, development, or
production of oil or gas or geothermal resources, or other
substance or material regulated by the Texas Railroad Commission
(RRC). An RRC-regulated waste is considered a special waste if it is to be processed,
treated, or disposed of at an MSW facility.
More information about the definition of solid waste and
exclusions is available in the rules at 30 TAC
330.3(145) 
and
335.1(134).
The main types of solid waste are:
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Hazardous Waste (and Universal Waste)
Hazardous waste includes any solid waste identified or
listed as a hazardous waste by the administrator of the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency in accordance with the federal
Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended by the Resource Conservation
and Recovery Act [see 30 TAC
335.1(65) ]. Household waste is
excluded from regulation as a hazardous waste by 40 CFR
261.4(b) .
Regulated hazardous waste [defined in 30 TAC
330.3(127) ] is a hazardous waste that is not excluded
from regulation as a hazardous waste under 40 CFR 261.4(b), or that
was not generated by a conditionally exempt small-quantity
generator.
30 TAC
335.503(a)(3) requires a person who generates a solid
waste to determine if that waste is hazardous, using the method
described in
Section 335.504 .
Universal waste is a subset of hazardous
waste—consisting of certain batteries, pesticides,
mercury-containing equipment, and lamps—with special
regulations under 40 CFR
Part 273 to simplify handling and promote recycling
of materials. The universal-waste rule does not apply to household
waste, which is already excluded from regulation as a hazardous
waste by 40 CFR 261.4(b)(1). More information about universal
waste:
The following tool is available to assist in making a waste
determination:
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Municipal Solid Waste
Municipal solid waste [as defined in 30 TAC
330.3(88) ] is solid waste resulting from, or
incidental to, municipal, community, commercial, institutional, and
recreational activities; it includes garbage, rubbish, ashes,
street cleanings, dead animals, medical waste, and all other
nonindustrial solid waste.
Municipal solid waste includes electronic waste from municipal,
commercial, and institutional sources, and X-ray and other
radiation-producing equipment. Additional
information regarding these materials is available:
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Industrial Solid Waste
Industrial solid waste is solid waste resulting from or
incidental to any process of industry, manufacturing, mining, or
agricultural operations. Industrial solid waste is classified as
either hazardous or nonhazardous.
Hazardous industrial solid waste includes any
industrial solid waste or combination of industrial solid wastes
identified or listed as a hazardous waste [30 TAC
335.1(63) ].
Nonhazardous industrial solid waste is an industrial
solid waste that is not identified or listed as a hazardous waste.
A generator of nonhazardous industrial solid waste must further
classify the waste pursuant to
Section 335.503(a)(4) as:
- Class 1 waste, including any industrial solid waste or
mixture of industrial solid wastes that—because of its
concentration, or physical or chemical characteristics—is
toxic; corrosive; flammable; a strong sensitizer or irritant; or a
generator of sudden pressure by decomposition, heat, or other
means; or may pose a substantial present or potential danger to
human health or the environment when improperly processed, stored,
transported, or disposed of or otherwise managed (see the rule at
Section 335.505 for more information);
- Class 2 waste, consisting of any individual solid
waste or combination of industrial solid wastes that are not
described as Hazardous, Class 1, or Class 3 (see
Section 335.506 for more information); or
- Class 3 waste, consisting of inert and essentially
insoluble industrial solid waste, usually including, but not
limited to, materials such as rock, brick, glass, dirt, and certain
plastics and rubber, etc., that are not readily decomposable (see
Section 335.507 for more information).
The following tool is available to assist in classifying a solid
waste:
More information about treatment, storage, and disposal of
hazardous and nonhazardous industrial waste is available on our Hazardous and Industrial Waste
pages.
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Special Waste
Special waste includes any solid waste or combination
of solid wastes that—because of its quantity, concentration,
physical or chemical characteristics, or biological
properties—requires special handling and disposal to protect
human health or the environment.
Examples of special waste:
- Class 1 nonhazardous industrial waste
- Untreated medical waste
- Hazardous waste from conditionally exempt small-quantity
generators
- Sludges from municipal and domestic water and wastewater
treatment plants
- Septic tank pumpings
- Grease and grit-trap wastes
- Slaughterhouse wastes
- Dead animals
- Drugs, contaminated foods, or contaminated beverages (other
than those contained in normal household waste)
- Pesticide containers
- Discarded materials containing asbestos
- Incinerator ash
- Contaminated soils
- Waste from oil, gas, and geothermal activities subject to
regulation by the Railroad Commission of Texas when those wastes
are to be processed, treated, or disposed of at an MSW
facility
- Certain wastes generated outside the boundaries of Texas
For more information about identification, transport, and
disposal of special waste, see Special Waste Disposal.
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Types of MSW Facilities and Wastes Accepted
Types of MSW Facilities
MSW facilities that may accept waste for processing and disposal
include landfills (Type I, IAE, IV, and IVAE facilities) and
processing facilities (Type V facilities). More information about
the classification of MSW facilities is available in the rules in
30 TAC
330.5 .
Types of Wastes Accepted
The types of waste that potentially may be accepted by MSW
landfill facilities are summarized in this
table. Which wastes can actually be accepted by a particular
facility depend on provisions of that facility’s
authorization.
Some facilities may accept special waste
according to provisions of 30 TAC
330.171 (regarding Disposal of Special Wastes) and
330.173 (regarding Disposal of Industrial Wastes).
Hazardous wastes and nonhazardous industrial wastes that cannot be
accepted at an MSW facility must be treated, stored, or disposed of
in accordance with hazardous and
industrial waste requirements.
A note about electronic
wastes: Televisions and computer monitors, when
disposed of, may be classified as hazardous waste. The preferred
method of managing used electronics from all sources is recycling.
Households
can legally dispose of used electronics in the regular trash;
however, a business or
other organization that disposes of electronic equipment must
comply with all applicable laws and regulations.
Prohibited Wastes
The following wastes are prohibited from disposal in any MSW
facility by 30 TAC
330.15(e) :
- Lead-acid storage batteries
- Do-it-yourself used motor-vehicle oil
- Used oil filters from internal combustion engines
- Whole used or scrap tires
- Refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, and any other items
containing any chlorinated fluorocarbon [must be handled in
accordance with 40 CFR
82.156(f), as amended]
- Liquid waste [except as allowed in 30 TAC
330.15(e)(6) ]
- Regulated hazardous waste
- Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) wastes, as defined in 30 TAC
330.3
-
Radioactive materials (except as authorized in Chapter 336,
Subchapter C, or that are subject to an
exemption from the Department of State Health Services)
More Information
Please contact us if you have
questions about municipal solid waste.
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