AbstractFederal and state legislation is increasingly making solid waste management an important service provided by rural communities and planning regions. Few systems have been designed for rural areas, and few studies have included data on spatial effects of collection density and transfer distances to disposal sites. Models are given estimating quantity of solid waste generated and costs per ton of solid waste collected, transferred, and disposed for different service areas and alternative technologies. The data can be used to project quantities of solid waste for collection and disposal and to determine optimum site location of disposal facilities in rural regions.