Measurement and Quantification of Residential Solid Waste in a Metropolitan City of a Developing Country: Case Study in Four Selected Informal Settlements in Dar Es Salaam City, Tanzania

Abstract

This study has employed multiple techniques, including subjective and objective approaches, to augment existing information and data on household waste generation, generation rates, composition and waste management perceptions in informal settlements. Waste weight, volume and composition data were obtained through one measurement study (n=80) and five surveys (n = 1,239). Additional information was obtained through physical observations and interviews. Results of this study revealed per-capita overall mean weight and volume to be 0.51 kg/day and 1.33 liters/day, respectively. Relatively higher per-capita daily waste generation rates were observed in smaller households, suggesting a positive dependence of municipal solid waste generation rate on both household income and size. Generation high points were on Mondays, signifying that accumulation of waste is more on Sundays perhaps because of shopping during weekends. Organic waste constituted the largest component (60.5% by weight), while e-waste constitute the least (0.4%). About 43% and 8% of the population have to store the waste for two to three weeks and for more than a month, respectively, before delivery for collection by the local government and or the private sector. The study established existence of both extreme satisfaction and dissatisfaction with waste collection and significance of collection problems in the informal settlements.