Solid waste refers to most types of discarded garbage. Effective solid waste management is a foremost environmental concern and generally requires:

• Collection of waste from urban areas at least once per week
• Disposal only of waste that cannot otherwise be recycled
• Sufficient plans for gathering and storing waste
• Relaying waste to facilities that dispose of it properly, via landfill or incineration, so it does not accumulate elsewhere
• Handling waste so that public health is not jeopardized and no water or air pollution results

The case studies below examine how these solid waste management practices were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic in specific regions and waste streams.