The reality of solid waste management in Iraq and ways of development

Abstract

Solid waste management operations are collecting, transportation, and disposal of residential, commercial, institutional, construction, demolition, and wide street areas; the result of the daily activity of humans needs to be properly managed. Iraq faces many problems associated with its unregulated solid waste systems. First, however, this study examined the reality of solid waste management in Iraq and ways to develop it. The total number of participants in this research was 326 participants .The data collected in February and March 2021, interview methodology and questionnaire which used, and the analysis software used for this research is IBM SPSS version 23; the two methodologies were used and combined to reach the largest possible amount of qualitative and quantitative information that may be absent from the researcher and to reach good results and outputs for the research, for reasons including obtaining more and deeper information to reach the largest segment of society and to achieve the goals of the thesis and obtain good results by integrating the two methodologies. The study concluded by analyzing the data, The municipality’s weak role and the lack of regular timetables in organizing waste collection and transportation operations, and 64% agreed that there are not sorting of waste from the source; also, the lack of cooperation and coordination between the public and the municipality, 39% agreed that most municipalities do not have healthy and environmentally safe landfills for waste disposal, 33% strongly agreed that there are no appropriate policies and laws that enhance the effectiveness of solid waste management, 49% strongly agreed that residents are ready to sort the waste in the designated place in case the municipality provides the containers, 53% agreed that residents are willing to pay for collecting waste from their homes or stores. After analyzing the study results, Iraq needs stations for sorting and transporting waste and stations for recycling plastic, paper and metals. Also, there is a need for sanitary landfills compatible with environmental conditions, and the municipality should play a greater role and give the private sector a greater role in the solid waste management process and overcome obstacles that hinder the work of investment companies, in addition to raising community awareness through holding educational workshops. For example, in schools and universities to spread environmental awareness in the community.