Solid waste management-Community perception, attitude and participation

Abstract

In recent years, the management of municipal solid waste has become a major environmental issue in developing countries like India. Improper and inadequate management of wastes have taken a devastating toll on Earth's natural resources and ecosystems. The sustainability and conservation of resources requires efforts at individual, national and international level. Community participation can have a direct bearing on effective solid waste management. The present study aims to analyze the current status and future challenges of solid waste management in Jalandhar City. The study makes an investigation into community attitude, perception and willingness of people towards solid waste management. Households data has been collected randomly based on their socioeconomic status using focus group discussion and structured interviews. The results reveal that majority of the households are not aware about the solid waste generation and its disposal. A significant number of households are not recycling the waste and are directly disposing into the community bins without segregation. The study suggests a greater level of community engagement in reduction of waste at the source through campaigns in a scientific manner. Innovative ways can be devised to educate people, to curb the emotional reluctance to deal with waste, to reduce the social stigma of working with waste and to garner greater public support for waste minimisation.