Fostering an inclusive solid waste management system :

Abstract

There are millions of people earning their living by collecting, sorting and recycling waste, objects, products, or -materials thrown away in their community. Despite their role, there is limited data on who they are and their operations hence usually not recognised contributing to the formal solid. waste management system. However, organized informal recycling activities have positive effects on the environment, reduce the costs of waste -management systems and provide income opportunities for large numbers of poor people. This study was conducted in Kawempe division and results will support efforts for recognition and integration of the informal waste sector as key stakeholders in solid waste management. The main objective was to explore the opportunities and challenges inherent in the model of inclusive waste management system and determine the driving factors for successful informal sector integration. Specific objectives included establishing the. organizational. structure of the in informal waste sector and describing its operations and investigating the barriers and factors hindering successful informal sector integration. The survey employed questionnaires, interviews, observation and secondary data to collect data. Analysis was done through descriptive statistical comparisons and inferential statistics. Resulting responses were compared, for dependency using charts and conclusions drawn based on whether the observed patterns in the data followed the already investigated and confirmed findings about the informal sector. Results revealed that the informal solid waste sector in Kawempe was dominated by youths, single and mostly males characterised by low levels of education and income. Most joined for employment, work on a daily basis collecting and sorting mostly plastics from streets and communal bins and sell them to private companies for recycling. They are open to formalising their activities with no difficulty with privatization and modernisation of the waste sector though not organised. Government recognizes their role and they are mostly affected by society perceptions and challenged by accidents and shortage of waste collection containers. The informal solid waste sector and their activities in Kawempe are still not well researched and documented and any efforts to adopt an inclusive waste management system would be limited by such inadequacies.