Abstract:
Peri-urban solid waste management has become a challenge caused by population
growth, urbanization which increases the volume of waste generated into bulk quantities
and change in the waste composition of solid waste generated, and neglect from a local
municipality. It condones illegal disposal of household solid waste and improper use of
waste management hierarchy which negatively affects the environment. The overall
study examined the current peri-urban solid waste management system at Lwamondo
village, with the specific objectives of the study include analysing the waste composition
of solid waste generated; examine current solid waste management practices and
analyse factors influencing current solid waste management, to achieve the objective of
the study. Various quantitative and qualitative techniques were employed. Simple
Random Sampling (SRS) technique was used as a sampling method, and 10% of the
households in each sub-village were sampled for questionnaire distribution. The study
also incorporated convenience sampling as a method for sampling households within
500m proximity to the illegal open dumping spots to conduct interviews. Using the
designed checklist, field observation was undertaken for both households and illegal
open dumping spots to identify waste composition. The study adopted a mixed-method
integrating both qualitative and quantitative techniques. Using the field observation and
checklist designed, findings confirmed that most of the waste generated are plastics and
tin waste, rubble from demolition and construction activities, dead domestic pets, and
metals waste. Due to lack of proper waste management plan, the community practice
dockyard disposal, dumping, and burning waste which later have an empirical negative
effect on the environment and their health. The study found that villages around the
area lack waste management by-laws enforcement, lack of access roads, rapid
population growth and urbanisation are the main identified factors influencing solid
waste management. Based on the findings, the study recommends a nearby transfer
facility and communal skin bins to cover residents, solid waste education and
awareness to the community, recycling and reuse initiatives, establishment of formal
buy-back centre, and waste composting.
