Determinants of Waste Management Practices and Willingness to Pay for Improving Waste Services in a Low-Middle Income Country

Factors influencing willingness to pay for improved solid waste collection services among households in urban cities in Uganda: empirical evidence from Lira City

Waste management in Lira City, Uganda faces significant challenges, particularly in the area of waste collection. Pollution and health risks from uncollected waste are rampant, posing serious threats to human health and the environment. This persistent problem demands urgent attention and effective solutions to improve waste collection and safeguard the well-being of the community and the natural surroundings. This study aimed to assess households' willingness to pay for improved waste collection services, examine their waste management practices, and identify influencing factors. We employed a multistage sampling technique to randomly select 585 household heads and conducted key informant interviews with city officials and private waste collectors. Data analysis was conducted with STATA 17 and results showed that 48.12% of households were willing to pay an average of UGX 3012 ($0.84) per month for better services. Factors including education level, occupation, distance to waste collection sites, and environmental awareness significantly influenced this willingness. The study highlights a significant gap in public awareness and understanding of efficient solid waste management practices and concludes that enhancing public awareness is crucial for improving environmental health and safety in Lira City.

Municipal solid waste management challenges in developing regions: A comprehensive review and future perspectives for Asia and Africa

The rapid urbanization witnessed in developing countries in Asia and Africa has led to a substantial increase in municipal solid waste (MSW) generation. However, the corresponding disposal strategies, along with constraints in land resources and finances, compounded by unorganized public behaviour, have resulted in ineffective policy implementation and monitoring. This lack of systematic and targeted orientation, combined with blind mapping, has led to inefficient development in many areas. This review examines the key challenges of MSW management in developing countries in Asia and Africa from 2013 to 2023, drawing insights from 170 academic papers. Rather than solely focusing on recycling, the study proposes waste sorting at the source, optimization of landfill practices, thermal treatment measures, and strategies to capitalize on the value of waste as more pertinent solutions aligned with local realities. Barriers to optimizing management systems arise from socio-economic factors, infrastructural limitations, and cultural considerations. The review emphasizes the importance of integrating the study area into the circular economy framework, with a focus on enhancing citizen participation in solid waste reduction and promoting recycling initiatives, along with seeking economic assistance from international organizations.

Solid waste management in the context of the waste hierarchy and circular economy frameworks: An international critical review

Growing populations and consumption drive the challenges of solid waste management (SWM); globalization of transport, food production, and trade, including waste trading, distributes risks worldwide. Using waste hierarchy (WH; reduce, reuse, and recycle) and circular economy (CE) concepts, we updated a conceptual waste framework used by international organizations to evaluate SWM practices. We identified the key steps and the important factors, as well as stakeholders, which are essential features for effective SWM. Within this updated conceptual framework, we qualitatively evaluated global SWM strategies and practices, identifying opportunities, barriers, and best practices. We find that, although a few exceptional countries exhibit zero-waste compliance, most fare poorly, as exhibited by the high waste generation, incineration, and disposal (open dumping, landfilling) volumes. In the Global North, SWM strategies and practices rely heavily on technologies, economic tools, regulatory frameworks, education, and social engagement to raise stakeholder awareness and enhance inclusion and participation; in the Global South, however, many governments take sole legal responsibility for SWM, seeking to eliminate waste as a public "nuisance." Separation and recycling in the Global South are implemented mainly by "informal" economies in which subsistence needs drive recyclable material retrieval. Imported, regionally inappropriate tools, economic constraints, weak policies and governance, waste trading, noninclusive stakeholder participation, data limitations, and limited public awareness continue to pose major waste and environmental management challenges across nations. In the context of the framework, we conclude that best practices from around the world can be used to guide decision-making, globally. Despite variations in drivers and needs across regions, nations in both the Global North and South need to improve WH and CE compliance, and enhance stakeholder partnership, awareness, and participation throughout the SWM process. Partnerships between the Global North and South could better manage traded wastes, reduce adverse impacts, and enhance global environmental sustainability and equity, supporting UN Sustainable Development Goals. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:9-35. © 2023 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

Determinants of the choice of disposal methods among residents in urban areas in Southern Ghana

The choice of household disposal methods continues to be an area of concern globally. Several pieces of research have been conducted to identify the determinants of the choice of disposal methods. Unfortunately, these pieces of research have not explored all the factors that can influence households' choices of disposal methods. Premised on this, the paper contributes to existing literature by exploring the factors that influence households' decision to adopt a particular solid waste disposal method. Using the Oforikrom Municipality, as a case study, the paper relies on household surveys and in-depth interviews with key informants from the relevant institutions. Field observations and spatial analysis were also conducted to gather further evidence. The study reveals that the factors that informed households' decision to adopt particular disposal methods were educational levels, type and nature of dwelling unit, urbanized nature of the community, waste disposal facilities, and environmental concerns of the households. Other identified factors include household size, affordability, and convenience of the household. The study recommends that a key to success in terms of proper waste disposal among residents is to ensure the availability and accessibility of disposal facilities and the proper regulation of waste management organizations as well as disposal sites. These will contribute to minimizing the adverse effects of poor solid wastes disposal practices.Implications: This article is intended to deepen the understanding of solid wastes disposal practices in urban areas and to contribute to literature on the factors that influence the choice of a particular disposal method among residents in these areas. Findings and recommendations from this research are intended to inform policy decisions on how to effectively improve solid waste management, specifically at the household level, in urban areas in Ghana, and beyond.

Predicting the Intention to Sort Waste at Home in Rural Communities in Lebanon: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour

Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) such as Lebanon have limited technical, economic, and social infrastructures to manage municipal solid waste properly. Understanding what motivates citizens to sort waste at home is paramount to designing effective, efficient, and equitable waste management interventions. Within the solid waste management project “RES-Q” in Southern Lebanon, we investigated the socio-cognitive predictors of waste sorting in a sample of 767 households from the targeted area using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). Perceived behavioural control (β = 0.96, p < 0.001), perceived norms (β = −0.30, p < 0.001), and current behaviour (β = 0.06, p < 0.001) were the strongest predictors of intention; attitude toward separating waste was not a significant predictor (β = 0.04, p = 0.3881). Consequently, future behavioural interventions should build capability and opportunity to perform the behaviour before normalising it. For example, citizens should receive bins and bags to separate waste and be shown how to perform the behaviour and how easy and convenient it is to increase their behavioural control. In parallel, waste collection and treatment infrastructures must be in place so that citizens can see that sorting waste is a social norm. These actions will ensure the success of future behavioural interventions within the RES-Q project and beyond.

Critical Infrastructures: Reliability, Resilience and Wastage

By 2050, according to the UN medium forecast, 68.6% of the world’s population will live in cities. This growth will place a strain on critical infrastructure distribution networks, which already operate in a state that is complex and intertwined within society. In order to create a sustainable society, there needs to be a change in both societal behaviours (for example, reducing water, energy or food waste activities) and future use of smart technologies. The main challenges are that there is a limited aggregated understanding of current waste behaviours within critical infrastructure ecosystems, and a lack of technological solutions to address this. Therefore, this article reflects on theoretical and applied works concerning waste behaviours, the reliability/availability and resilience of critical infrastructures, and the use of advanced technologies for reducing waste. Articles in the Scopus digital library are considered in the investigation, with 51 papers selected by means of a systematic literature review, from which 38 strains, 86 barriers and 87 needs are identified, along with 60 methods of analysis. The focus of the work is primarily on behaviours, barriers and needs that create an excess or wastage.