An appraisal of household management in the city of Chipata

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to carry out an appraisal of the management of household waste in the city of Chipata. The study was based on the following objectives, to: (i) characterise household waste in Chipata city, in terms of composition, volume, recyclability and reusability, and (ii) examine the management strategies of household waste carried out in Chipata city. A survey design supported by both qualitative and quantitative approaches was used and by using a checklist, questionnaire and interview guide relevant information on household waste composition, storage, handling and disposal were obtained from selected households of Kapata, Hollywood and Kalongwezi Townships of Chipata city. A sample of 120 households was involved. Stratified sampling was used to obtain the three townships so that high, medium and low density populated residential areas were represented while purposive sampling was applied to select 40 households per township. Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics with the aid of the Statistical Software Package for Social Sciences 20.0 (SPSS) while qualitative data was coded and emerging themes were grouped into categories and then interpreted. The results showed a marked variation in domestic waste types and quantity generated across the three residential areas reflecting the income levels of the inhabitants. The highest total weights (26.2 kilograms) were generated in Kalongwezi Township, area with low population while the lowest values (18.0 Kilograms) were reported in the highly populated Kapata area showing that despite some wealthier areas having much lower populations than poorer areas, they still generate more waste. In Kapata Township, plastic bags were the common receptacles used and more than 50 percent of the households had no receptacles meaning that open dumping was prevalent. Burning and burying of waste was observed in Kapata and Hollywood where waste dumping in drains and waste littering characterized by overfilled receptacles was also common. The waste generated in these townships contained less reusable materials compared to Kalongwezi where more reusable waste was generated. The results of this study, therefore, provide evidence that many households in Chipata do not efficiently manage their household waste. The study recommended the following; reenforcement of the existing legal framework in the country, improving public awareness through sensitization programmes, encouraging the minimisation of waste generation, introducing incentives to those who separate waste and encouraging private agencies to participate in both waste recovery and in general waste management efforts. Building on this study, research could be undertaken to assess the generation of household waste in all districts in the country as well as the household waste composition and storage facilities. Key Words: Household Waste, Waste Management, Indiscriminate Waste Disposal, Receptacle