Vital Waste Graphics

Municipal solid waste composition

24

25

for 7 OECD countries ...

... and 7 Asian cities

% of solid waste generated

Metals

10

5

et

0

Rangoon

Kathmandu

Bhopal

Chongqing

Mexico

Japan

France

Belgium

Dhaka

Surabaya

Ulan Bator

Greece

Norway

USA

Glass

15

10

a a

5

0

Rangoon

Kathmandu

Bhopal

Chongqing

Mexico

Japan

France

Belgium

Dhaka

Surabaya

Ulan Bator

Greece

Norway

USA

Plastic

15

10

as as

5

0

Rangoon

Kathmandu

Bhopal

Chongqing

Mexico

Japan

France

Belgium

Dhaka

Surabaya

Ulan Bator

Greece

Norway

USA

Paper

35

30

25

20

ap ap ap

15

10

5

0

Rangoon

Kathmandu

Bhopal

Chongqing

Mexico

Japan

France

Belgium

Dhaka

Surabaya

Ulan Bator

Greece

Norway

USA

Organic

75

70

ga ga ga ga ga ga ga ga ga ga

65

60

In Ulan Bator, ashes represent 60 % in winter and 20% in summer.

55

50

45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

Rangoon

Kathmandu

Bhopal

Chongqing

Mexico

Japan

France

Belgium

Dhaka

Surabaya

Ulan Bator

Greece

Norway

USA

Source: OECD, 2002.

Source: UN/ESCAP, IGES, 2002.

: no data available

Composition of solid waste for 7 OECD countries / 7 Asian cities (by sector). In most countries in the world, organic materials and paper are the main contributors to municipal waste. In developing countries, large cities generate most of the municipal waste. Data are rarely avail- able for rural areas, but factors like the type of energy source used for cooking and heating and sea- sonal differences play a part in the composition of waste (for example in rural communities in Mongolia there is a large difference between the volume of wood ash produced in summer and winter).