Assessment of solid waste management at source in compliance with guidelines

Abstract

Solid waste management poses a big challenge for many urban households, especially in developing countries. Overcrowding and informal settlements have emerged with illegal and indiscriminate waste disposal. Guidelines for proper management of solid waste are least observed at household level in such settings. The study was to assess solid waste management at source in compliance with guidelines among residents of Kawempe municipality, Kampala district. It was descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study design, where 385 household heads and local leaders were interviewed using questionnaires and interview guides. Only 37.9% of households complied with guidelines for solid waste management at source. Factors of waste management practices were waste reduction (p<.005), separation (p<.001), reuse (p<.001) and composting (p<.027). Determinants such as gender (p<.007), marital status (p<.016), educational level (p<.00), occupation (p<.007), household size (p<.025), medium of community sensitization (p<.00), enforcement of bi-laws (p<.005), type of waste generated (p<0.00) and waste storage method (p < .009) were implicated. Conclusively, compliance with guidelines in the management of household solid waste at source was still very low within the city.