Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is a major environmental concern and significant problem that urban planners all over the world must deal with on priority for the sustainable development of cities. Rapid urbanization and unregulated population growth in developing nations like India have contributed to the socio-environmental issues resulting in improper management of MSW. Solid waste is produced in enormous quantities in urban cities of India. It poses serious pollution and health problems and its management is one of the complex problems faced by the city planners. The choice of effective approaches for MSW management depends on the types of waste and the variation in their characteristics. Hence, evaluation of the characteristics of MSW is a crucial component in its management. Ghazipur city had an MSW generation rate of 41.00 tons per day in 2020, as per Ghazipur Nagar Palika Parishad, and is facing acute problems with SWM. This present paper critically examines the current waste management scenario of the city, studies the factors that influence waste management, characterizes the solid waste at the disposal site physically, and proposes a suitable approach for the sustainable management of MSW. The characterization of MSW was carried out for Ghazipur city. It is found that waste comprises maximum organic waste (54.77%) followed by paper (10.55%), plastics (9.2%), textile and carpet (6.95%), leather (5.53%), cardboard (5%), glass (4%), metals (2%), and other waste (2%). The biodegradable and recyclable categories are found to be 54.77 and 30.75%, respectively, in total MSW. Ghazipur NPP should have a sanitary landfill, material recovery facility and center facilities for composting and recycling waste.