As urban populations continue to grow, solid waste management becomes critical. Searching for ways to dispose of it poses a serious problem for municipal managers. Locating a site on the outskirts of the city creates concerns about how to ensure that daily operations are environmentally sound. Mass burn incineration systems like those found in developed countries attract municipal managers, but the capital and operating requirements for such plants surpass those needed for landfills. To assist local officials with developing cost effective strategies for dealing with solid waste management, the World Bank launched a program to provide high level advice on approaches that support themselves financially and are socially and environmentally responsible. This Technical Paper provides the foundation for such a detailed evaluation of solid waste incineration systems. This volume will be of interest to municipal managers and others concerned with solid waste and incineration projects.