Abstract
Municipal solid waste (MSW) data sources in Harare metropolitan province show significantly varying data with regards to generation and composition. The sources of variations include data lumping; exclusion of MSW managed outside the formal system and remain uncol-lected, lack of a clear definition of what constitutes MSW within the Zimbabwean context as well as temporal variations. It is therefore important for waste generation and characterisation studies to be undertaken building upon the already existing datasets to ensure the accuracy and reliability needed for data credibility for use in MSW management planning.