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Rubbish disposal begins at home?

Many municipal authorities in the developing world are unable to cope with the rapidly expanding demands made on formal waste management systems. Can households and communities help fill the breach? What lessons can be learned from local initiatives in primary waste collection - the removal of waste to an intermediate storage place or disposal area?

A study from Water and Environmental Health at London and Loughborough (WELL) highlights the issues, constraints and potential solutions to support sustainable local initiatives in the primary collection of solid waste. The report looks at three groups of actors involved in local initiatives - householders who generate waste, waste collectors, and intermediary community and civil society organisations. Plugging a gap in the limited literature, it calls for more studies (particularly from Africa) of how people are working to clean up their neighbourhoods.

Though they may complain about rubbish on their doorsteps, householders are often unwilling to join collection schemes initiated by neighbourhood activists or NGOs. Without externally initiated educational programmes people do not generally see the relation between waste collection and improved health benefits. Residents frequently feel no sense of ownership towards waste collection schemes, fight against having rubbish skips near their houses and have unrealistic expectations that local government should sort out the mess.

Waste collection schemes cannot be sustained without clear community-municipality linkages, spelled-out responsibilities and mechanisms for revenue collection. Lack of agreement results in poor coordination between primary collection schemes and the subsequent transfer and haulage by municipalities.

Further findings include:

Waste is a women's issue. Women manage household waste and are prominent in its collection in many countries.
Waste workers everywhere are regarded with stigma and suspicion. They lack sufficient financial and social rewards and incentives. Often they are not consulted when equipment is selected and are regularly exposed to health hazards.
Successful schemes have depended both on the entrepreneurship of waste collectors and the social obligations built through collective efforts to ensure that the waste collector is regularly remunerated, in cash or kind.
Provision of uniforms and protective clothing for waste collectors can create team spirit and pride.
Without consciousness-raising, individuals will find separation of waste for recycling both time consuming and unpleasant.

Recommendations for those thinking of establishing schemes include:

Giving greater consideration to the gender implications of waste generation and disposal: brooms, shovels, tricycles and wheelbarrows used by women waste collectors need to be light-weight and suitably sized.
Publicity campaigns to raise the status of waste collectors.
Training for collectors in equipment maintenance.
Provision of top-up income (from sale of recyclable waste, repairing equipment etc) for waste workers. Part-time employment will allow them to pursue complementary income opportunities.
Constant dialogue and joint monitoring with communities regarding siting of communal bins and regular schedules for clean-ups to prevent waste being strewn around.
Bins should not take the living space of vulnerable pavement dwellers.

Source(s):
'Lessons from community-based initiatives in solid waste', Water and Environmental Health at London and Loughborough (WELL) Task 99 by Mansoor Ali and Marielle Snel, March 1999

Funded by: DFID (WELL)

id21 Research Highlight: 13 December 2001

Further Information:
Mansoor Ali
Water Engineering and Development Centre (WEDC)
Loughborough University
Leicestershire LE11 3TU
UK

Tel: +44 (0)1509 222 392
Contact the contributor: S.M.Ali@lboro.ac.uk

Marielle Snell

Contact the contributor: snel@IRC.NL

Water Engineering and Development Centre, UK

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