Original Research

Vulnerability of growing cities to solid waste-related environmental hazards: The case of Mthatha, South Africa

Vuyayo Tsheleza, Simbarashe Ndhleve, Hlekani M. Kabiti, Christopher M. Musampa, Motebang D.V. Nakin
Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies | Vol 11, No 1 | a632 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/jamba.v11i1.632 | © 2019 Vuyayo Tsheleza, Simbarashe Ndhleve, Hlekani M. Kabiti, Christopher M. Musampa, Motebang D.V. Nakin | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 28 February 2018 | Published: 29 April 2019

About the author(s)

Vuyayo Tsheleza, Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, South Africa
Simbarashe Ndhleve, Risk and Vulnerability Science Centre, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, South Africa
Hlekani M. Kabiti, Risk and Vulnerability Science Centre, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, South Africa
Christopher M. Musampa, Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, South Africa
Motebang D.V. Nakin, Risk and Vulnerability Science Centre, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, South Africa

Abstract

The rising prevalence of the failure of fast-growing cities’ waste authorities to account for solid waste service function and provide effective solid waste systems poses serious environmental hazards and health risks. Household solid waste mismanagement in Mthatha, a fast-growing city in South Africa with a rapid population increase, is emerging as a major environmental hazard. An effective solid waste audit system could reduce the extent of this problem. This study aimed at categorising and quantifying household solid waste generation and determining the drivers of waste generation and mismanagement that have the potential to increase risk and/or vulnerability to household solid waste-related environmental hazards. Stratified random sampling was used to select 248 sample households and to categorise them according to upgraded high-density informal residential settlements (64), high-density formal residential settlements (62), middle-density residential settlements (61) and low-density residential settlements (61). The results revealed that the waste generation rate increased one moves from informal settlements (1.84 bags of waste per household per week) to low-density, low socio-economic statuses (2.26 bags), middle-density settlements (2.39 bags) and low-density residential settlements (2.84 bags). Food waste was the most commonly generated type of waste for more than 50% of the respondents. Approximately 89% of the most common types of waste reported across all settlements had the potential to be recycled, reused or composted. Only four factors emerged as significant determinants (p < 0.05) of the volume of solid waste generated per household per week: household socio-economic status, household size, knowledge of waste management and household participation in waste separation. Results on drivers of household solid waste generation and variations across residential settlements could be utilised when designing growing cities’ waste management plans, with the objective of reducing the volume of solid waste sent to landfill sites, illegal dumping and open burning of waste, thus reducing the associated negative impacts that mismanaged waste poses to the environment. Enforcing waste separation at the household level could promote reuse and recycling, which in turn would reduce waste volumes.

Keywords

household waste generation; socio-economic drivers; residential density; refuse removal; waste types

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Crossref Citations

1. Comparing the impact of educational messages based on an extended parallel process model on solid waste separation behaviors in female students: A four-group randomized trial
Aazam Abbasi, Marzieh Araban, Zahra Heidari, Masoumeh Alidosti, Fereshteh Zamani-Alavijeh
Waste Management  vol: 117  first page: 1  year: 2020  
doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2020.07.041