Assessment of Solid Waste Management Practices in High-Density Residential Townships: A Case Study of Mtendere Township in Lusaka, Zambia.

Abstract

Solid waste management is critical to a country’s economic and social growth, affecting public health, environmental stability, and economic advancement. The rising amount and complexity of trash generated by the contemporary economy endangers ecosystems and human health. This study was set out to assess the current state of Solid Waste Management practices in the densely populated residential areas of Mtendere Township in Lusaka district of Zambia. A mixed method study design comprising of qualitative and quantitative methods was utilized in this study. Quantitative data were collected through structured surveys which enabled statistical analysis to discern trends. Qualitative insights were derived from open-ended interviews with key stakeholders and site observations. 385 study participants were selected to participate in the study via purposeful sampling technique. The study disclosed that the majority of respondents were females (57.6%) and belonged to the age group of 25-34 (37.0%). A significant proportion of study participants were self-employed (34.8%) and most of them had attained secondary level of education (42.4%). The study also revealed that, the predominant method used for waste collection was door-to-door (44.2%), followed by open dumping (24.3%) and burning waste (19.9%). The study also uncovered that, the majority of respondents, (71.0%), reported waste collection every 3 days, indicating a relatively infrequent collection schedule. Also, a smaller portion of the sample, (13.8%), stated that waste collection occurred less than once a week. The study further revealed that, the majority of respondents (93.8%) were not aware about waste segregation and recycling programs in Mtendere Township, indicating a need for the development and implementation of waste management strategies that promote waste segregation and recycling. The study also disclosed that, only a small minority of respondents (1.1%) perceived that, there were sufficient waste disposal facilities in Mtendere Township in Zambia. In contrast, the majority of participants, (87%) believed that there was a lack of adequate waste disposal facilities in Mtendere Township. The study further disclosed that, most of the respondents (59.4%) described Mtendere township as dirty indicating a prevailing perception of poor hygiene while a small proportion of respondents (19.2%) regarded the township as very dirty. The study further disclosed that, insufficient waste collection frequency (35.9%), lack of waste segregation and recycling programs (28.3%), and inadequate waste disposal facilities (40.6%) as major challenges faced by Mtendere Township in the management of solid waste in Lusaka, Zambia. Also 28.6% of the respondents pointed out that poor enforcement of waste management regulations and lack of community awareness and participation on the proper waste management (60.5%) as other significant challenges faced by Mtendere Township in the management of solid waste. The study also exposed that every single respondent (100%) has personally experienced environmental or health effects of inadequate solid waste management in Mtendere Township. This study further revealed air pollution (36.2%), Water contamination (32.2%) which increased the risk of waterborne diseases like cholera and spread of diseases (64.9%) as environmental or health effects caused by in-adequate Solid Waste Management in Mtendere Township in Zambia. It also disclosed that, foul odors (86.6%), and aesthetically unpleasant surroundings (81.2%) as other environmental or health effects caused by in-adequate Solid Waste Management. It is therefore, recommended that, there is need to conduct a study to assess the impact of increased waste collection frequency on waste accumulation and hygiene conditions in the township. Also exploring the economic aspects of waste management, analyzing social and behavioural factors influencing waste management practices, and understanding the role of technology and innovation in enhancing efficiency will contribute to a holistic understanding of sustainable waste management practices and inform future strategies in this domain.