Municipal solid waste management practices among different resident communities in Lugazi municipality

Abstract

Solid waste management is increasingly becoming a great concern to most urban centers of most developing world. The uncollected waste poses significant threats to environmental sustainability, human health and socioeconomic stability The study investigated the Municipal Solid Waste management practices among different residential communities in Lugazi Municipality using Lugazi central division The main objective was to determine municipal solid waste management practices among different resident communities. Specific objectives were to identify source of the nature of municipal solid waste, reasons for existing handling and disposal practices used by residents as well as strategies to solve solid waste management challenges in Lugazi Municipality The study used random sampling technique to determine a sample size of 60 respondents. Mostly, qualitative data was obtained from open and closed questionnaire direct observation and face to face interview in Lugazi central division. Then the collected data were coded, interpreted and entered into Excel. Further data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) It was found that food wastes, plastics, polythene and paper were the major composition of municipal solid waste generated in Lugazi municipality. Disposal practices employed by residents were burning of solid waste, open dumping, dumping at the roadsides open fields and river sides as well as other practices like burying and this was due to lack of access to waste collection services, inadequate waste management infrastructure, unaffordability of waste disposal services, and inconvenient waste collection schedules The study also revealed that the segregated solid wastes were reused as feeds for livestock such as poultry, cows, and goats as well as fertilizers in the gardens. The non-degradable solid waste like polythene and plastics were burnt since they had negative impact on the environment