A SEMINAR PRESENTATION ON SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT;

A NATIONAL MENACE.

BY

LYNDA YANANG DARIA NOU 204003884

AMEDE CHRISTIAN NOU212061745

ROSE ALUKU NOU204004070

ESTHER ADEYEMI NOU204004013

SUBMITTED TO

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH

NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA

AUGUST 2022

1|Page
Table of contents

Title page 1

Table of contents 2

Introduction 3

Objectives of the seminar 8

Major constraints in solid waste management. 9

The attitude and behavior gap in solid waste management. 9

Solutions to poor waste management. 15

Conclusion and recommendations 23

References 26

2|Page
INTRODUCTION

Throughout history, human advancement has been intrinsically linked to the management of

solid waste due to its effect on both public and environmental health. Solid waste management

(SWM) has a long and convoluted history (Nathanson, 2015). Systems of SWM can trace their

roots all the way back to ancient times. One of the first instances of waste management occurred

in the 4th century A.D. with the Ancient Greeks. The Greeks had to deal with the multiple

challenges of aligning waste removal systems with a growing population, lack of space, and

sanitation problems. Waste management practices were very rudimentary with trash just being

collected and transported to pits outside the city. It was not until urban populations boomed that

garbage was viewed as a threat to human and environmental health.

Cities began to grow rapidly to accommodate the growing population and conditions began to

worsen for these cramped communities. The plagues that affected Europe between the 14th and

16th centuries were often perpetrated by vermin that thrived in the unsanitary urban conditions

that were common during this time. Early waste-management techniques were developed during

this period to combat the spread of disease but the political and social problems of the time did

not see great strides in waste management (Nathanson, 2015).

In the latter part of the 19th century and into the 20th century, technological advances included

the use of garbage cans and creation of incinerators and sanitary landfills; the latter replaced the

practice of open dumping and has become a common practice in the developed world (Hoornweg

and Giannelli, 2007). Waste systems took on a more organized approach to waste management,

3|Page
and technology, industry, and new policies and regulations imposed on waste helped to

dramatically improve the waste management industry. With the passage of the Clean Air Act in

the United States in 1970, many early incinerators without air pollution controls were shut down

and replaced by modern waste-to-energy plants (Tangri, 2003). In recent years, the solid waste

industry has employed other technologies, such as recycling and composting to combat our ever-

growing waste issue. Processes of SWM have affected human history in many ways, just as they

will continue to do so in the future.

The modern waste-management industry in the developed world has come far, and with

recycling and other advances it will continue to grow and change with the needs of the

community. However, countries in the developing world have yet to see many of these changes

to their own solid-waste management systems (SWMS). Today, solidwaste management

conditions in the developing world are quite dire; present SWMS in these countries are more

reminiscent of conditions found in past SWMS in the developed world.

Traditionally, the municipalities have been in charge of providing SWM services in developing

countries (Al-Khatib et al., 2009). The municipal res organize and manage the public sanitation

system, including providing the infrastructure for the collection, transportation, treatment and

disposal of wastes. However, with ever increasing population and economic growth, many

municipalities in developing countries are struggling to keep SWMS working in a sustainable

manner. Oftentimes these systems either become ill managed or even cease to exist because of

various social, institutional, and technical constraints. Global production of waste has practically

doubled over the past ten years and is expected to reach 2.5 billion tons per year in 2025 as a

result of the combined effect of urban development and changes in consumption patterns (Périou,

2012).

4|Page
SOLID WASTE COMPOSITION

Waste: Waste is any substance that is discarded after use or is worthless defective and of no use.

Most human activities end up in waste generation and this unavoidable trend if not managed

result to an environmental problem (Dike, 2011).

Types of waste: Solid, liquid, organic hazardous or biodegradable materials. Some are

recyclable while others are compostable. Hence for effective management, each group has to be

identified and well sorted from the source of generation (Oyebode 2013).

Waste management: This includes all the activities and actions required to manage waste from

its inception to its final disposal which include the following: collection, transport, treatment,

disposal, monitoring and regulation.( Adebola, 2006).

OBJECTIVES OF THE SEMINAR.

The seminar seeks to achieve the following;

(1) To determine factors contributing to poor waste management in developing countries.

(2) To ascertain the effect of poor solid waste management on health status of human beings.

(3) To suggest various control measures that may be adopted in controlling poor solid waste

management.

MAJOR CONSTRAINTS IN SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT.

Oftentimes when systems are breaking down and problems are escalating, people look to societal

factors to fix the issue. This has often been the case when dealing with the mismanagement of

5|Page
solid waste in the developing world. Many researchers have argued that the waste problem is

caused by human behavior and therefore the solution lies in changing that behavior (Milea,

2009). Public awareness and attitudes about waste can affect the whole SWMS (Zhu et al.,

2008). How is waste defined in the developing world? Why has littering become such a prevalent

behavior in these communities? What role do social norms and attitudes play in shaping these

behaviors? And what measures must be taken to ensure that these behaviors change? These are

questions that must be answered in order to come to realistic solutions to the problem of solid-

waste management in developing countries.

THE ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOR GAP IN SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT.

Waste can mean many things to different people (Moore, 2012). Some people such as the trash

pickers of Ghana see “waste” as a resource or a way to make an income in an otherwise limited

job market. On the other hand, you have a majority of people living in the developing world that

see waste as a burden and a problem that needs to be addressed. To say people in developing

countries don’t recognize trash as an issue is an untrue statement. The opposite is often true.

However, recognizing trash as a problem does not prevent littering or other negative behaviors

concerning waste management (Moore, 2012). This attitude-behavior gap often emerges and can

be further affected by a variety of reasons including convenience, social norms, lack of public

participation, and lack of education and awareness of effective waste management techniques

(Milea, 2009;O’Connell, 2011).

Within this attitude/behavior gap exists an inconsistency between one’s values and actions. This

specifically refers to the discrepancy between people’s concern over the environmental harm

posed by household waste and the limited action by those same people to reduce their waste or

engage in other pro-environmental behaviors (O’Connell, 2011).

6|Page
A negative behavior often associated with the mismanagement of solid waste in developing

countries is the occurrence of littering. There are a multitude of causes that can contribute to an

increase in public littering rates, such as a lack of social pressure to prevent littering, absence of

realistic penalties or consistent enforcement, and lack of knowledge of the environmental effects

of littering (Al-Khatib et al., 2009). Other causes also include the amount of litter already present

at a particular site, presence of signs referring to litter, and the number and/or placement and

appearance (if any) of waste collection bins at the site. Convenience of garbage bins has been

cited many times in research as a priority when disposing of trash, and when these are not

present or lacking in areas this has been reason enough to litter (Henry et al., 2006).

Other times people become accustomed to throwing their waste in streets and other inappropriate

places, as there had been no formal system for sorting and disposal in their community, so when

changes are implemented people are not changing their disposal behavior out of pure habit and

custom (Yousif and Scott, 2007). Similarly, a range of socio-economic factors can affect public

attitudes toward littering, frequency of littering, and the effective approaches to impede the

littering tendency within an individual (Al-Khatib et al., 2009). These factors are region and

culture dependent, and it is very important to study them if an effective littering prevention

program is to be designed.

LACK OF EDUCATION AND AWARENESS.

Another major constraint seen throughout the developing world is the lack of education and

awareness of effective waste-management practices. The lack of interest in the environment

creates a culture of non-participation of communities in decision-making processes. That stance

enhances lack of responsibility for pollution and waste issues. Ultimately this produces

communities that have little knowledge of, or concern for, their impact on the environment

7|Page
(Poswa, 2001). What it may come down to is the difference between information and knowledge.

Being presented with the information without prior knowledge may be ineffective in creating

change. However, if prior knowledge of waste management was met with new information, these

communities may be more willing to accept it and implement these changes.

The need to improve public awareness of, and community participation in, waste management

has been widely recognized by researchers as necessary to create sustainable waste systems and

to promote environmental citizenship amongst community members (Lumbreras Martín and

Fernández García, 2014). Typically, people are more likely to participate in waste management

activities, for example recycling, when they observe others in their vicinity recycling. In

developing countries recycling programs are rare, so wealthier members of the country rely on

informal recyclers as the behavior norm (O’Connell, 2011)

CHOICE VERSUS RESPONSE

Another problem is that many people feel that they have no impact on the decision-making

process, and as a result do not bother to register complaints with the authorities. This attitude

differs among socio-economic groups. Wealthier socioeconomic groups are more likely to feel

like they can make a difference when it comes to these environmental problems or become

involved in doing something about them because they feel that they have the ability to make

more of an impact in addressing and fixing the problem. Some researchers argue that people of

lower socio-economic groups tend to have less regard for environmental issues on the basis that

employment and housing are their main priorities (as cited in Périou, 2012).

Turning to more of a response side of this issue, there is often the lack of a sense of

responsibility, which is manifested by the accumulation of huge amounts of litter. in public

places such as parks, highways and recreational facilities and in private areas such as business

8|Page
places (Scarlett and Shaw, 1999). This can be explained as a function of ownership. As cited by

Scarlett and Shaw (1999), Aristotle (n.d.) said: “What is common to many is taken least care of,

for all men have greater regard for what is their own than for what they possess in common with

others.” This simply means that people who own property have the incentive to take care of it,

unlike the one owned by a large number of people or where there is non-ownership like public

places. This appears to be a “tragedy of the commons” issue (Hardin, 1968). In this theory

individuals act independently and rationally according to their own self-interest and behave

contrary to the best interests of the entire group by depleting some common resource such as a

river, or in the case of waste management, public places like parks.

SOLUTIONS TO POOR WASTE MANAGEMENT.

For developing countries, improved education and awareness programs about solid waste are an

important step in more effective SWMS. Increased community participation and introducing

incentives have also been cited by various researchers as some of the most effective social

interventions in establishing sustainable SWMS (PAHO, n.d.; Bolanne, 2006; Al-Khatib et al.,

2009; Narayana, 2009; O’Connell, 2011).

Improvements in Education and Awareness

When reviewing current research on the topic of social interventions, recycling is often

emphasized when talking about education and awareness programs as they relate to SWM. The

low level of awareness regarding the health and environmental impacts of improper management

of solid waste makes it difficult to implement recycling and disposal programs in many

developing countries (Mrayyan and Hamdi, 2006). Recycling requires community involvement

and social awareness to be successful. In recognition of the importance of public participation in

the success of recycling programs, recycling policy and legislation need to be geared toward

9|Page
promoting people centered approaches to recycling with public education as the main driver

towards increasing public participation (Bolaane, 2006). A study done in Palestine focused on

this educational gap came to the conclusion that there was a positive relationship between the

level of education and the participatory behavior of the people in recycling activities (Al-Khatib

et al., 2015).

Unfavorable results present local authorities with the challenge to educate citizens and

disseminate sustainable measures and practices aiming to: 1) reinforce environmental

sustainability, public health, family and child safety; and 2) practice the principles of waste

management: reduction and segregation at the source, reuse and commitment to participate in

recycling schemes. A similar study conducted in Jordan found similar results that by

implementing proper environmental awareness programs public understanding will be enhanced

and achieving greater efficiency of waste management practices will result (Mrayyan and

Hamdi, 2006). These are just two findings of many that identify public awareness and education

of SWM as vital in achieving waste segregation that would, in turn, reduce solid waste pollution.

Also incorporating health messages, such as communicating the negative health effects of open-

burning of waste on air quality and human health, in the education and awareness campaigns

may prove to be the push many community members need to change their waste management

behaviors.

Consequently, attitudes toward recycling were found to have a significant effect on waste

recycling. In terms of extrinsic (i.e social reinforcement and monetary reward) and intrinsic

motivation (i.e. personal satisfaction) both were found to affect recycling behavior. However,

having a sufficiently high level of motivation itself and positive attitudes toward recycling do not

guarantee that an individual will act accordingly (Ainiet al., 2002). Systematic and holistic

10 | P a g e
approaches and efforts should be undertaken by various government and non-governmental

agencies to educate the public by focusing on the underlying reasons for recycling and the

adverse effects of mounting garbage on the environment.

The intrinsic motives, which were found to be higher motivational factors among the

respondents, should be nurtured and developed so as to encourage recycling participation

specifically and be more environmentally responsible behavior When people understand the

connection between their behaviors and environmental harm they are more likely to engage in

pro-environmental behaviors.

Recycling behavior is strongly influenced “by the knowledge of where, when, and how to

recycle” as stated by O’Connell (2011). The findings of a study conducted in over twenty-two

developing countries (Guerrero et al., 2013) suggests that when citizens receive information

about the benefits of recycling and how to sort the waste, and they participate in the designing of

the programs, they are more likely to participate in recycling campaigns. Social norms can also

play an important role in changing waste behavior and participation in recycling activities.

People are more likely to recycle when they observe others in their community recycling, so it

would be beneficial to reach out to key members of the communities to take the lead on changing

these negative environmental behaviors (O’Connell, 2011).

While recycling is a very important aspect of waste management, authorities in developing

countries tend to overlook the significance of waste minimization strategies, leading to situations

where more waste than necessary is sent to disposal sites or recycling facilities. According to the

EPA (1988), waste minimization is a process of elimination that involves reducing the amount of

waste produced in society and helps eliminate the generation of harmful and persistent wastes,

supporting the efforts to promote a more sustainable society. Waste minimization involves

11 | P a g e
redesigning products and/or changing societal patterns, concerning consumption and production,

of waste generation, to prevent the creation of waste. There has not been a lot of research on this

topic especially in developing countries, but the few studies that have been conducted have

found waste minimization.

Public Participation.

Another major social intervention for more effective SWM is increasing community involvement

in waste management activities such as recycling, and increasing participation in decision

making when it comes to waste management programs. The issues of public acceptance,

changing value systems, public participation in planning and implementation stages, and changes

in waste behavior are equally as important as the technical and economic aspects of waste

management (Marshall and Farahbakhsh, 2013). Effective waste management must be fully

embraced by local authorities and the public sphere, and must include all stakeholders in the

entire waste management decision-making process. Key elements to the success of these

integrated programs are public participation and empowerment, decision transparency,

networking, cooperation and collective action, communication, and accessibility of information

(Marshall and Farahbakhsh, 2013).

Incentives

The last major social intervention cited by researchers to increase the effectiveness of waste

management systems is through incentives. One of the major motivators for behavior change is

the use of incentives. Incentives, both economic and socio-psychological, can be incredible tools

to help change behavior and are considered an effective social intervention in developing

countries by many researchers (Bolaane, 2006; Mrayyan and Hamdi, 2006; Milea, 2009;

O’Connell, 2011). Socio-psychological incentives are referred to as incentives that change

12 | P a g e
attitudes and behavior through disseminating information, persuasion by relating waste

minimization to the achievement of valued goals and making use of social pressure, among

others (Milea, 2009).

Media can play an important role in increasing public participation and awareness and can serve

as an instrument for many socio-psychological incentives. A study conducted in Cuba (Mosler et

al., 2008) found that mass media involvement, through the use of advertisement and campaigns

geared towards recycling and reusing products, was seen as a useful incentive to public

particular. However, information is not enough. People have to believe that the particular action

is a contribution and feel it is their own responsibility to do it. Therefore, when the media is used

to create these awareness campaigns they should endeavor to create a common goal around

solving the waste problems and be very clear on how people can contribute to this and why it is

urgent and important to do so (Mosler et al., 2008).

Waste-picking or scavenging activities are commonplace in developing countries. These waste-

pickers have little education and limited opportunities to make a stable income. The existence of

waste pickers/scavengers often creates an obstacle to the operation of solid waste collection and

disposal services (Schübeler et al., 1996). This has to do with the fact that these scavengers are

taking out all the recyclable materials from waste piles to make money—which many local

governments depend on for funding SWMS.

However, if organized properly, their activities can be effectively incorporated into a waste

recycling system. This type of an opportunistic approach is required for sustainable development

of SWM programs in developing countries (Schübeler et al., 1996).

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.

13 | P a g e
After looking over the cultural, educational, and microeconomics of waste management many

things become clear. Public awareness and attitudes towards waste can impact the entire SWM

system, from household storage to separation, interest in waste reduction, recycling, and the

amount of waste in the streets, and ultimately the success or failure of a SWM system. Being

aware of problems does not necessarily mean that people find it their responsibility to solve

them. It is up to all stakeholders involved to work together towards the common goal of

sustainable waste management. Governments should take steps to educate the citizenry on waste

reduction and separation as a matter of national policy and they should enact waste-minimization

legislation as a first step. Emphasis on the need for information about environmentally

responsible behaviors, such as recycling and waste minimization, needs to be presented in a

culturally and emotionally appropriate context. Behavior change and waste prevention policy

needs to be designed with convenience in mind, based on the needs of today’s households for

time and space. This has been proven to encourage householders to engage in waste management

practices, provided that such a scheme is well publicized.

Socio-economic characteristics (especially wealth) may determine attitudes such as the perceived

ability or willingness to recycle municipal solid waste, but these attitudes may be positively

influenced by awareness-building campaigns and educational measures. This can be achieved

using a variety of factors such as the integration of environmental education centered on SWM

and the environment into the school curriculum beginning with the elementary schools. Public

awareness can also be improved through some low cost methods such as seminars, workshops,

newsletters, speeches, and church bulletins. Solid waste planners can also make the best use of

all available community resources which include elected officials, the news media, interested

groups and community organizations, all of which have the ability to generate community

14 | P a g e
support. Although municipalities generally deliver urban SWM services, efficient and effective

service delivery is difficult to achieve without the active participation of and support from local

communities.

Even though socio-psychological incentives, or moral and social motivations, may prove

effective in the long term scale, these public campaigns aimed at changing attitudes and norms

are also the most difficult to achieve. However, a combination of socio-psychological and

economic incentives, along with educational awareness campaigns and increased community

involvement, may just be the winning combination for success in many developing countries.

REFERENCES

Aini, M. S., Razi, A. F., Lau, S. M., and Hashim, A. H. (2002). Practices, attitudes and motives

for domestic waste recycling. International Journal of Sustainable Development and World

Ecology, 9(3), 232.

Alavi Moghadam, M., Mokhtarani, N., and Mokhtarani, B. (2009). Municipal solid

15 | P a g e
 waste management in Rasht City, Iran. Waste Management, 29(1), 485-489.

Al-Khatib, I. A., Arafat, H. A., Daoud, R., and Shwahneh, H. (2009). Enhanced solid

waste management by understanding the effects of gender, income, marital status,

and religious convictions on attitudes and practices related to street littering in

Nablus – Palestinian Territory. Waste Management, 29(1), 449-455.

Al-Khatib, I. A., Kontogianni, S., Abu Nabaa, H., Alshami, N., and Al-Sari’, M. I.

(2015). Public perception of hazardousness caused by current trends of municipal

solid waste management. Waste Management, 36323-330.

Al-Khatib, I. A., Monou, M., Abu Zahra, A. F., Shaheen, H. Q., and Kassinos, D. (2010). Solid

waste characterization, quantification and management practices in developing countries.

A case study: Nablus district – Palestine. Journal of Environmental Management, 91(5),

1131-1138.

Beveridge and Diamond Law. (2011). Beveridge and Diamond Law: Congress considering bill

to provide incentives for environmental compliance. Latin American Region

Environmental Quarterly. Environmental and Natural Resources Law, Attorneys,

Beveridge and Diamond. Retrieved February 10, 2015. http://www.bdlaw.com/news-

1115.html

Bolaane, B. (2006). Constraints to promoting people centred approaches in recycling. Habitat

International, 30(4), 731-740.

Cecere, G., Mancinelli, S. and Mazzanti, M. (2014). Waste prevention and social preferences:

The role of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. Ecological Economics, 107163-176. EPA.

Waste Minimization Opportunity Assessment Manual. (1988). Retrieved February10,

2015.

16 | P a g e
EPA.gov. Non-hazardous waste management hierarchy. (2015). Retrieved April 5,2015.

http://www.epa.gov/wastes/nonhaz/municipal/hierarchy.htm

Goett, J. (1998). Waste and resource: Household management of solid waste on the North Coast

of Honduras. Yearbook. Conference of Latin Americanist Geographers, 24, 111-119.

Retrieved February 10, 2015, from JSTOR.

Guerrero, L. A., Maas, G., and Hogland, W. (2013). Solid waste management challenges for

cities in developing countries. Waste Management, 33(1), 220-232.

Hardin, G. (1968). The tragedy of the commons. Science, 162(3859), 1243-1248. Retrieved

March 28, 2015. http://www.sciencemag.org/content/162/3859/1243.full

Hazra, T., and Goel, S. (2009). Solid waste management in Kolkata, India: Practices and

challenges. Waste Management, 29(1), 470-478.

Henry, R. K., Yongsheng, Z., and Jun, D. (2006). Municipal solid waste management challenges

in developing countries – Kenyan case study. Waste Management, 26(1), 92-100.

Hilburn, A. M. (2015). Participatory risk mapping of garbage-related issues in a rural Mexican

municipality. Geographical Review, 105(1), 41-60.

INEI (Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática). (2013).Pobreza se reduce a 25.8

percent en Peru y 509 mil personas dejaron de ser pobres En 2012. Geston. Retrieved

February 10, 2015.

IPA (Innovations for Poverty Action). (2014). Experiments to improve participation in a

recycling program in Northern Peru. Retrieved February 10, 2015. www.povertyaction.

org.

Kruljac, S. (2012). Public-private partnerships in solid waste management: Sustainable

development strategies for Brazil. Bulletin of Latin American Research, 31(2), 222-236.

17 | P a g e
Lumbreras Martín, J., and Fernández García, L. (2014). Comprehensive solid waste

management: The Ciudad Saludable model in Peru. Retrieved February 10, 2015.

http://idbdocs.iadb.org/wsdocs/getDocument.aspx?DOCNUM=39168981.

Marshall, R. E., and Farahbakhsh, K. (2013). Systems approaches to integrated solid waste

management in developing countries. Waste Management, 33(4), 988-1003.

Metzger, T. (2009). Waste Watchmen. Retrieved February 10, 2015.

http://waste360.com/Collections_And_Transfer/sanitation-recycling-throughhistory- 200905.

Mezier, Paul. (2013). Ciudad Saludable: Teaching the business of recycling. ProJourno.

Retrieved April 06, 2015. http://projourno.org/2013/04/ciudad-saludableteaching- the-

business-of-recycling/.

Milea, A. (2009). Waste as a social dilemma: Issues of social and environmental justice and the

role of residents in municipal solid waste management, Delhi, India. Master's thesis, Lund

University. Lund, Sweden.

Moore, S. A. (2012). Garbage matters: Concepts in new geographies of waste. Progress

in Human Geography, 36(6), 780-799.

Mosler, Hans-Joachim, et al. (2008). Deriving interventions on the basis of factors influencing

behavioral intentions for waste recycling, composting, and reuse in Cuba. Environment and

Behavior. 40(4), 522-544.

Mrayyan, B., and Hamdi, M. R. (2006). Management approaches to integrated solid waste in

industrialized zones in Jordan: A case of Zarqa City. Waste Management, 26(2), 195-205.

Murad, W. M., Hasan, M. M., and Shoeb-Ur-Rahman, M. (2012). Relationship between

personality traits of the urban poor concerning solid waste management and household

income and education. Interdisciplinary Description of Complex Systems, 10(2), 174-192.

18 | P a g e
Mwanthi, M., and Nyabola, L. (1997). Solid waste management in Nairobi City: Knowledge and

attitudes. Journal of Environmental Health, 60(5), 23.

Narayana, T. (2009). Municipal solid waste management in India: From waste disposal to

recovery of resources? Waste Management, 29(3), 1163-1166.

Nathanson, J. (2015). Solid-waste management. Retrieved February 10, 2015.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/553362/solid-waste-management

19 | P a g e