## 1 Introduction  
Municipal solid waste (MSW) management is one of the most crucial challenges for developing and under-developed countries. Developed countries produce more waste compared to that of the others. However, they have good management systems as they invest a large portion of money in this management sector. In developing countries like Bangladesh, MSW management is a major problem, as it involves a lot of expenditure. Additionally, people give little attention towards waste management. MSW generation increases with population growth and urbanization. It is becoming more challenging, as more land is needed to dispose the waste [1]. A rapid increase in MSW can cause high environmental pollution and various hazards to the inhabitants. MSW management is not only a technical problem, but rather different political, legal, environmental and economic factors influence the system [2]. In most of the cities of Bangladesh, including Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC), MSW is dumped in open fields, which is not an ideal way to dispose solid waste because it causes environmental pollution and ecological imbalance. The urban population of Bangladesh is increasing at a high rate of 6% annually and it is concentrated mostly in six major cities, i.e., Dhaka, Rajshahi, Chattopram, Barishal, Sylhet, and Khulina. It is estimated that about 13% of the total population and about 55-60% of the total urban population live in these six major cities [3]. In these cities, the estimated per capita waste generation is about 0.5 kg/d (day), where only 0.2 kg/d of it is carried to disposal sites and the rest is disposed of locally, creating huge environmental problems due to poor management practices [4]. For ensuring ecofriendly cities, the government is trying to find a safe and sustainable solution for the efficient management of solid wastes. Several studies have been done on MSW management worldwide and in Bangladesh in the past few years. [PERSON] performed a feasibility study of waste to energy (WTE) and power generation in Dhaka city, Bangladesh [5]. He suggested WTE conversion as a solution for the waste management problem in Dhaka. Among a number of methods, composting was found to be convenient for Dhaka, as waste generated in this city is mostly organic. It was assumed that an initial investment of BDT 50 million (Bangladeshi taka) is required, and the payback period would be 7.1 years [5]. In 2008, researchers collected wastes from all household groups, which were segregated and weighed, from Chattopram city, Bangladesh. Waste generation was found to be 1.3 kg/household/d and 0.25 kg/person/d. From the survey, it was found that 44% of the residents were willing to pay USD 0.3 to 0.4 per month to the waste collectors. It was suggested that the service charge should be based on the waste generated by individual households. The study adequately showed that household waste can be converted to resources through segregation at the source [6]. In another work, researchers studied traditional solid waste recycling patterns in Rajshahi City Corporation of Bangladesh. They found that about 1906 people were involved in recycling activities in the city. It was estimated that approximately 28.13 t of solid wastes were handled in the Rajshahi City Corporation area every day. Only five factories were involved in the preliminary processing of recyclable wastes. The main recycled materials were found to be iron, glass, plastic and paper [7]. In 2014, researchers reviewed different MSW types that are currently being used for renewable energy sources. MSW in Bangladesh contains a relatively high proportion of organic matter. They showed that, using a landfill gas recovery process, electricity generation from MSW in six megacities would be approximately 186,408 kWh/d. It was found that WTE incineration systems are the source of large amount of renewable energy in Bangladesh [8]. Another work focused on an improved solid waste management system of Rajshahi City Corporation in Bangladesh.