Variability of MSW Composition Data with the Log - 1 logistic Distribution

9 Variations in solid waste composition data are necessary as inputs to solid waste 10 planning, yet uncertainty exists regarding which probability distributions might be 11 generally valuable to describe the variability. Twenty-two detailed analyses of solid 12 waste from British Columbia, Canada, are fit to distributions using the BestFit 13 software. Alternative distributions are ranked based on three goodness-of-fit 14 parameters and twelve waste fractions. The log-logistic distribution is found to be the 15 most able to fit over the wide range of composition types considered. The results are 16 demonstrated to be insensitive to the number of waste components or to the choice of 17 a twoor three-parameter distribution. Although other distributions are able to match 18 better the waste composition for individual waste types, the log-logistic distribution is 19 demonstrated to fit, overall, a wide variety of waste composition types. 20 21