The valorization of municipal solid waste (MSW) into liquid fuels is a multi-beneficial global option for ensuring environmental and energy sustainability. The paper critically reviewed a wide range of recent literature on the potency, progress, and challenges associated with MSW upgrading into liquid fuels. Concise details on the various upgrading technologies involved such as gasification, pyrolysis, and syngas-to-fuels (i.e., syngas to gasoline and diesel) via a Fischer-Tropsch process were documented. Emphasis was critically given to the recent literature updates. The paper explored the role of heterogeneous catalyst systems in achieving the various processes with special considerations for optimizing fuel yield. Prospective technologies such as plasma gasification and nanoscale catalyst design with potentials to revolutionize the industry were also discussed. Copyright (c) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.