Abstract: L andfilling is one of the primary methods for municipal solid waste disposal. The existing problems of l andfills in various aspects including settlement, stability, seepage, diffusion are discussed in this paper. The engineering characteristics of MSW are generalized and the tests conducted in both laboratory and on site are presented. The engineering characteristics of MSWs are determined by their consititution, filling way, circumstance; and are varying with site and time. For the complexity of MSWs' characteristics, the present test results on MSW can only be used as a reference and related tests on local MSW should be conducted for formal design.