Abstract: A process and plant for mechanical treatment of municipal refuse, including transformation and subsequent reuse of various directly or indirectly usable products. The process permits complete separation of the combustibles, vegetable matter, hard plastics, PVC, ferrous scrap and inert substances, and includes the following steps, starting from the receiving pit: tearing open the sacks containing the municipal refuse and thoroughly mixing the slime; charging a treatment line wherein the combustible, vegetable matter, hard plastics, PVC and glass bottles fractions undergo primary separation; collecting some of the separated products as directly usable products; and routing the remainder of the separated products to lines for treatment of the various fractions contained therein.