General waste, also called residual waste, is material from businesses and households that cannot be recycled. It includes materials such as non-recyclable plastics, polythene, some packaging and kitchen scraps, etc.

Historically, this waste has invariably been disposed of to landfill and some general waste is still disposed of this way. However, advances in technology now mean that there are several alternative ways of dealing with general waste which can still ensure that value – usually in the form of energy – is recovered from it.