A problem has been growing all over the world for decades. The problem is waste, especially municipal solid waste. Solid waste is all waste resulting from human activities that is normally solid and is discarded because it is useless or unwanted (Elfren Bringas Paz, 2006). In general, developing countries, which have higher productivity and high quality of life, produce more municipal solid waste per capita than low-income countries. This is also why the USA and Canada are world leaders in waste production. For example, even with a plan to reduce waste generation by 50%, Toronto, Canada is running out of places to dispose of municipal solid waste. In 2007, each American produced an average of 4.6 pounds of trash every day. The amount of municipal waste has more than doubled since 1960 and, at the same time, the per capita rate has increased by almost 70% (Enger and Smith, 2002). Under these conditions, solid waste management has been a major concern in urban management. This essay will compare and contrast the ways of managing municipal solid waste in Canada and the United States. First, it will compare the recycling programs supported by the governments of these two countries. Next, it will examine two other modes of waste disposal (landfill and incineration) and compare their applications in Canada and the United States. Finally, it will compare the separate waste collection methods in the two countries. Recycling programs in Canada and the United States Recycling has already had a major impact on the way governments manage waste in both Canada and the United States, where local and regional governments have an interest in reducing waste through recycling programs . In Canada, the recycling program is known as curbside collection…half of paper…in Canada. However, in different cities across the United States, the waste sorting method may vary slightly. For example, in Kirkland, USA, every single household is required to have three waste containers, and waste materials are divided into three categories: garbage, recyclables, and food and yard waste. Conclusion In summary, both are world leaders in waste generation, Canada and the United States have paid much attention to municipal waste management. This essay compared and contrasted the similarities and differences between these two countries. Both countries have imposed recycling programs that require residents to properly recycle waste materials. And in both Canada and the United States, landfill is gradually replacing the traditional method, incineration, for disposing of solid waste. Despite these two similarities, these two countries have different methods of waste sorting.