Household waste includes all residues and leftovers from
domestic activities. It mainly consists of organic waste (food scraps,
vegetable and fruit peels...), paper, plastic, glass, metals, and other
materials that are no longer usable.
The amount of household waste varies from one region to
another. It is generally higher in urban areas compared to rural ones. Its
composition also changes, but overall, organic materials always represent a
significant proportion.
This distribution evolves over time, for example, the
share of paper in waste has decreased since the 1990s, while the share of
plastic has increased.
Managing this waste requires collection, sorting, recycling,
and disposal to reduce its impact on the environment.