<p>Legacy waste dumpsites pose a major environmental challenge in developing countries, contributing to soil contamination, land scarcity and resource loss. Recovering and reusing the soil-like material (SLM) derived from stabilized legacy waste offers a sustainable approach to waste valorization and circular economy. This study aims to evaluate the quality and potential agricultural suitability of such SLMs recovered from urban dumpsites in Tamil Nadu, India. The physical and chemical properties of SLM from 6 dumpsites were investigated using standard protocols of sampling and processing such as sieving, drying and chemical analyses. These analyses comprised parameters like moisture content, pH, conductivity, bulk density, total organic carbon (TOC), nutrient content (NPK) and heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Hg, Ni and Zn). SLM had moisture contents ranging from 16.4% to 18.1%, pH ranging between 7.6 and 9.2 with conductivities between 1.1–2.6 mS cm⁻¹. TOC levels averaged at about 4.3%, while NPK content had wide variations (0.07%-0.9%). Heavy metal concentrations generally met regulatory limits, although Cr (70.2 –152 mg kg⁻¹) and Ni (50–58 mg kg⁻¹) exceeded in some cases. Statistical analysis showed that there exist significant variations in metal contents among the different urban sizes of dumps. Compliance varied across parameters for Indian quality guidelines, revealing challenges in meeting standards for pH, TOC and nutrient levels. To determine the overall applicability of SLM for agricultural and environmental purposes, a quality index system was developed, balancing potential benefits with environmental risks. It is imperative to note that these metrics are applied differently depending on their use. The study concludes that although legacy waste derived soils contain certain pollutants, they can still be used for farming with appropriate nutrient supplementation.</p>