Municipal solid waste (MSW) includes any waste made from urban activities, which comprises households, commercial, industrial, and construction waste. This represents a prominent environmental and public health challenge associated with global MSW management, a challenge that is especially acute in developing countries. The increase in population and ineffectual waste management makes it worse. Improper disposal/handling of MSW, for example, can lead to hazardous gas emissions, soil and groundwater contamination, and augmented greenhouse gas emissions. This is because uncontrolled dumpsites of this nature are a leading cause of global warming and health-related problems like allergies and respiratory problems, and they are often found in developing countries. In addition, the environmental effects of MSW are compounded by heavy metals that can bioaccumulate in crops and mutate soil chemistry, resulting in decreased agricultural productivity and increasing concerns about food safety. Notable low specific gravities of contaminated soils make them undesirable for construction and other purposes. MSW management is impacted by economic contexts, cultural customs, and urban infrastructure. Despite developed countries like America and China progressing in waste treatment technologies, India too is addressing its escalating waste problem with waste to energy (WtE) and composting projects. The disposal of municipal solid waste (MSW) is known to affect the environment significantly, polluting air, water, and soil, and those emissions/changes to the geotechnical properties and chemical composition of the soil of landfill will contribute to leachate which may reduce soil permeability alongside presenting a hazard to human health and the environment. This highlights the need for management practices such as liners and barriers, as well as compaction. The way forward is collective action to embrace sustainable waste practices to care for the environment.