Solid waste reduction management with special reference to developing countries

Abstract

Sustainable development and the Triple Bottom Line integrated sustainability concept focus on the choices between the imperatives of economic efficiency, social development and environmental sustainability. Corporate governance is being imposed by stakeholders and corporate social responsibility is indicated as being the most important socio-environmental demand being made on contemporary leaders. The influence of idealism and realism on, and the reasons for failure of, solid waste reduction projects in terms of sustainability is the foundation of the theories postulated in this research. It is the objective of this research to identify the motivational factors, with special reference to developing countries, of social capital, including management processes leadership and people management, that will augment solid waste reduction projects that are lethargic at starting, or deteriorating, to achieve sustainability. The methodology is to review the literature available to identify the augmenting (motivational) factors, and use analytical philosophical and empirical research to test formulated constructs using hypotheses. The criterion for the research sample is to obtain the opinions of environmental specialists in South Africa using a questionnaire. The technique employed is multivariate data analysis to identify the type of interdependent relationships, including cluster and multidimensional scaling analyses. Hypothesis testing, in this research, leads to the conclusion that additional motivational factors are needed to support the economic imperatives to make the process sustainable. `Reality' is statistically significantly different to `idealistic'. The inference is that for solid waste reduction projects to succeed leaders from government and the private sector are required, through the use of legislation and taking into consideration the value of waste, to instil economic incentives. According to this research, personal values and belief systems have little to contribute to the process of sustainability. The outcome of this research provides a strategy-benchmarking-model that leaders can use to target and prioritise their efforts in respect of achieving success with waste projects. The contribution it makes to the knowledge base of the subject and responsible leadership is contained in its summation of the augmenting factors required, their relative importance, and the lessening of the complexity of approach to these projects.