A Mini-Review on the Causes of Poor Household Solid Waste Management in Low-income Developing Countries: a Case Study of Urban Harare City, Zimbabwe

Abstract

Household solid waste (HSW) is the largest municipal solid waste (MSW) produced in Harare. This type of waste is poorly managed, driven by various factors. To inform future studies towards designing more informed solutions to HSW management in the city, this literature study was formulated. The review aims to uncover the causes of poor HSW management in the city.<br/> The systematic review methodology using NVIVO was used to develop the review. The results showed that the most reported causes of poor HSW management and waste management system inefficiencies in Harare are increase in population and population density, poor formal solid waste disposal, increase in waste volumes, informal waste disposal, low waste collection frequency and efficiency, municipal incapacitation, among others. Future studies can utilize these results to estimate the complexity of this phenomenon and thus propose appropriate solutions.