Analysis of Peri-Urban Household Solid Waste Management System: A Case of Lwamondo Village

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.