An appraisal of household management in the city of Chipata
Date
2019
Authors
Namonje, Blessing Twavwe
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The University of Zambia
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
Description
Thesis
Keywords
Household Waste , Waste Management , Indiscriminate Waste Disposal,