On the basis of spot investigation of dozens of cities and hundreds of towns and villages in different regions in China, combining with the fundamental methods of municipal solid waste management (MSWM), three development modes of MSWM were proposed according to the land area, economic level, nature condition and population distribution of various geographical units and urban systems. They were respectively for the city/district system, the city/town (district)/village system and the city/ county/town/village system. Different city or district can choose one of these modes flexibly based on its practical situation, to comprehensively plan and properly layout the MSW disposal system, so as to optimize the resources reallocation of lands, funds, and technologies and achieve the integrated management of MSW.