Perceptions of waste management in different income households in Cosmo City, South Africa

Abstract

Cosmo City was established as a pilot project to integrate the low, middle and high income communities to live together and share common resources like schools, medical facilities, churches and shopping centres. Over a period of seven years, waste management has become a problem leading to littering, illegal dumping and overfilling of skips. Perceptions of waste management in different income households were studied. The specific objectives were, willingness of households to separate waste from source, health concerns emanating when one interacts with waste at the sources, effect of incentives on household’s willingness to separate waste from source, household’s opinion on including the waste pickers in the formal waste management system. Data was collected using structured questionnaire and interviews. The results indicated that 30% of low income households, 23% of middle income households and 10% of high income households recycle waste. The study revealed that 78% of low income households, 78% of middle income households and 80% of high income households were willing to sort waste from source. Overall results showed about 20% drop when sorting waste without incentives was suggested. 52% of low income households, 55% middle income households and 48% high income households rated hygiene as the major health concern on sorting waste from source. 85% of low income households, 77% of low income household, 71% of middle income and 78% of high income households support the incorporation of waste pickers in the formal waste management system. The results related to perceptions of the community on waste management suggest that the three different communities are willing to participate in waste management and support the incorporation of the waste pickers in the formal waste management system. In general this study should serve as a guideline for legislation, policy and regulations formulation. Integrated solid waste management that involves waste pickers and separation of waste from source can help with job creation, boosts the economy and deviate waste from landfilling to recycling.