ASSESSMENT OF SUSTAINABLE WASTE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS

Abstract

Rapid urbanisation has significantly increased municipal solid waste generation, creating serious environmental and management challenges in urban areas. This paper has evaluated sustainable waste management practices in an urban environment with an emphasis on establishing gaps that need more attention and exposure. The research design applied was descriptive and analytical, and both primary and secondary data, in the form of household surveys, interviews, and field observations as well as secondary data in the form of reports and literature, were used. The main parameters included segregation of wastes, efficiency of collection, recycling, public awareness, and policy implementation. The findings revealed that, in spite of the fact that waste management systems were in place, they had a number of critical gaps. The source segregation of waste was also observed to be low, with most households discarding mixed waste. Collection services were inconsistent in their efficiency, especially in remote locations, which resulted in the piling up of waste and environmental issues. There was a lack of development of recycling and resource recovery practices, which are predominantly informal, and composting and sustainable waste utilisation were also underdeveloped. Also, the level of public awareness and engagement was average, yet it was not enough to instigate a steady change of behaviour, and implementation of policies at the ground level was observed to be patchy. The research identifies the necessity of better infrastructure, better policy implementation, better awareness of the population and the introduction of new technologies to reinforce the waste management system. More attention should be paid to the unexplored aspects, including the inclusion of the community and the informal sector in the process of waste management in urban areas in order to attain sustainable development of the waste management system.