Assessment of Attitude and Perception of Communities Towards Solid Waste Disposal, and Its Implication to Urban Pollution, Sodo Town, SNNPR, Ethiopia

Michael Gashaw Alemu

doi:10.7176/jetp/9-7-02

Abstract

The study was conducted to assess the community attitude and perception level towards solid waste disposal in Wolaita, Sodo town. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select the survey participants. The study used both the primary and secondary source data. The primary data were collected through interviewer-administered questionnaires and observation check list were used to collect field data and secondary data were collected through documentation from Sodo city administration, internet sources, journal and books. Individual informed consent was obtained before questionnaires were administered. Results of the study revealed that 90% of the respondents don’t perceive burning of solid waste materials in open space as improper disposal method and commonly used storage containers for household waste was Polythene bags (40%), while 37%, 10%, 9%, and (4%) of the respondents dump the waste on Dump site, plastic containers, Old bucket and Waste bins respectively. 88% of them perceived the solid waste litters the town. Among this proportion, 49(49%) of respondents perceived it as a problem, 25% perceived as a Major problem, 14% said that a minor problem. The community perception towards solid waste and their attitude to reuse the plastic bags which they were using to carry vegetables, grains etc. from markets was very. Hence, efforts should be directed towards training and awareness creation for purpose of enhancing their awareness attitude. Keywords: Perception, Attitude, Solid waste, urban pollution DOI : 10.7176/JETP/9-7-02 Publication date :October 31 st 2019

Highlights

Solid wastes are defined as “the unwanted remains, residues, discarded materials or by-products which are no longer required by the initial user” (Nyang’echi, 1992)
As the environmental awareness of the households seems to be low due to this they are completely disposing the waste into the same storage and carried to dump site
Though the majority 90% of the households were not segregate biodegradable and non-biodegradable solid waste into different bins at the source, and 12% were segregating it

Summary

Introduction

Solid wastes are defined as “the unwanted remains, residues, discarded materials or by-products which are no longer required by the initial user” (Nyang’echi, 1992). Disposal includes the process of getting rid of the wastes that are generated by people (Mantel, 1972). The methods used to dispose domestic wastes are land disposal, incineration, recycling and waste reduction (World Book Encyclopedia, 1994). Land disposal is where garbage is hauled to an area owned by a community or private firm. Such areas range from unsanitary open dump to properly operated sanitary landfills. According to (Lenkiewicz, 2016), half of the waste generated by Earth’s 7 billion people is not properly disposed of

Objectives

Methods

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Discussion

Conclusion