The idea of harmonizing economic growth with the laws of development of society and the environment is expressed in the concept of sustainable development. In the frame of sustainable development an exceptional importance is attached to studying material flows, therefore management of waste flows must not contradict the principles of sustainable development. In agreement with M. Jacobs, it is possible to affirm that waste management in the context of sustainable development means using materials in closed cycles. Investigating socio-economic efficiency of municipal waste management means studying the organizational waste management process and factors disclosing characteristic features of this process, making deep comparative socio-economic analysis of waste management options and studying waste managements acts both on national and local level in order to reveal the ways of increasing socio-economic efficiency in municipal waste management. This study is induced by the necessity of changing the traditional waste management of depositing it in landfills, by recycling using not only national and international funds, but by mobilizing resources of local waste management systems as well. It is natural, that the policy of waste management, in which neither the scale of economic damage nor future waste management expenditure were evaluated, was orientated towards disposal of waste in refuse dumps. This means transferring problems to future generations, and this cardinally contradicts the concept of sustainable development. Therefore the question arises, what waste management systems should be considered to be efficient from the socio-economic viewpoint. Researches made in EU countries show that these are systems resources of which are directed to waste recycling and continuous its development. In Lithuania, the importance of waste management is emphasized in national strategy of environmental protection and waste recycling promotion has become the most significant waste management task in recent years, therefore attention is given to socio-economic waste management results. For establishing regional waste management systems, to cover the expenses of collecting, sorting out and transporting secondary materials, two main sources of funds are foreseen, that is, general tariff (or local levy) and funds from „Program of product and packaging waste management“. Fixing general tariff depending on treatment expenses for separate waste flows or setting two-tariff charge on sorted and mixed waste is assigned to most urgent means, not only stimulating collection of secondary material but supporting financially the development of this process as well. However, when increasing general tariff all variables should be evaluated, i. e., tendencies in changes of amount and composition of the waste, distribution of wasteholders, number of waste operators on the market, their internal resources available and efficiency of their usage, etc. Otherwise, increase of tariff may be based neither in a social nor in an economic aspect. In the research, waste management priorities in the context of a sustainable development are revealed (based on socio-economic aspects) and internal reserves of municipal waste management systems due to which socio-economical waste management efficiency can be increased are identified. Research problem. Socio-economic and environmental aspects of waste management as well as the role of waste materials in the system of sustainable development have been more or less investigated in works of foreign scientists, the problems of municipal waste management have been analyzed in publications of international organizations as well as in works by foreign authors. In these studies, most attention is concentrated on the process „exploitation of natural resources – economic growth – waste formation” analysis and feasibility studies for modifying it in order to achieve sustainable development aims. Publications of international organizations contain abundant technical and statistical information on waste formation and management, nevertheless, economic studies are scarce, superficial and usually based on the experience of a separate country. They are important from a practical point of view and are of rather educational than scientific character. Among Lithuanian scientists theoretical aspects of sustainable development most widely have been investigated by R. Čiegis, feasibility researches of sustainable development are being carried out in separate sectors of economy – issues of sustainable transport development are being investigated by G. Paliulis, G. Ignatavičius, V. Oškinis, issues of sustainable development in energetics are studies by V. Jankauskas, D. Štreimikienė, I. Konstantavičiūtė, feasibility studies in sustainable development of industry are researched by J. Staniškis, V. Arbačiauskas, V. Pivoras, sustainable development of tourism is investigated by A. Rondomanskaitė, R. Hopenienė, A. Kamičaitė. And other scientists. Scientists give more and more consideration to studies of relationship between sustainable development and public interests, issues of regional and local sustainability and problems of evaluating sustainable development. Scientific studies on socio-economical aspects of municipal waste management are scanty. Works by A. Spruogis and B. Jaskelevičius, J. Čepinskis, A. Jankauskas, M. Ubartas, A. Lebedis, J. Danys, B. Zigmontienė, S. Vasarevičius and sociological researches carried out by the scientists of Kaunas University and the author of this thesis in cooperation with the scientists of Šiauliai University should be mentioned. So far, little attention has been given to research in efficiency of municipal waste management systems and analysis of the problems of managing and financing these systems. Scientific works on assessment of government policy in the field of waste management are scarce and there are few expert analysis about the effectiveness of regulations and economic instruments applied and their influence on the development of waste treatment methods. Not much research has been carried out in the works by Lithuanian authors on the issue of municipal waste management in the context of sustainable development. The review of research and studies in socio-economic problems of municipal waste management in the context of a sustainable development shows their fragmentariness. Modeling an efficient in socio-economic aspect municipal waste management system in the context of sustainable development requires purposeful theoretical studies and empiric research. The subject of the scientific research is socio-economic aspects of municipal waste management system.