Households’ participation in solid waste management system of Homs city, Syria

Abstract

Solid waste management practice is a matter of concern for public health and environmental protection and has become a major challenge in Syria. Improper waste management can bear adverse consequences on public health, environment, and natural resources. The current study focuses on households' participation in solid waste management in Homs city. Waste management plans can only be successful if the community support and actively participate in it, and as the largest stakeholder, households have an important role by reduction of waste volume and increasing the recovery rate. In respect to this issue, this study presents the findings of the research concerning the waste management practices applied by households at the local level in Homs city as well as the attitude of households (as service users) to the current solid waste management system. Data were assembled by a questionnaire survey conducted on 300 households in Homs city as well as formal interviews with officials and supervisors in related departments. We found that composting activities were not applied in the studied areas as well as waste separation practices were spurred by economic revenues earned without prior knowledge of the environmental benefits. Moreover, residents had to practice improper ways to remove their waste from residential areas in cases of inadequate and unreliable waste collection services.