Determinants of household waste disposal practices and implications for practical community interventions: lessons from Lilongwe

Abstract

Open waste disposal has a negative effect on local ecology, economy, and public health. Understanding factors influencing waste disposal decisions is necessary for developing solutions to curb open waste disposal. This paper discusses the associations between household’s social demographic and spatial characteristics with preference for domestic waste disposal. The paper also utilize this knowledge practical community action. This was achieved by gathering and examining a novel dataset of` the waste disposal patterns of 200 randomly chosen households in Malawi. We observed that households were likely to dispose of their waste openly when the residential unit was closer to an existing open waste disposal site. A multinomial logistic regression model showed that the likelihood of choosing waste disposal methods, such as private garbage collection services, is higher when the household head is a woman, the housing unit is owned by the occupants, and in the presence of a fence. We presented these findings to the neighbourhood community development committee. A short-term community waste management plan was created using a participatory community planning approach. The plan included co-designing waste disposal solutions with landlords, setting up community waste bylaws, and intensifying civic education activities. In conclusion, our study provides insights into the factors that influence households’ disposal behaviour. This unique case study highlights a potential approach for developing waste management policies using a bottom-up approach.

Phenomenological Approach for the Application of the FOAP Concept of the Vicious Circle of Ill-Health

“…According to Lifewater International (2020), maintaining good hygiene within a community, neighborhood, school, or workplace can help stop the spread of infectious diseases. Low-income countries continue to have widespread practices of improper waste management, which involve the open disposal of waste in the environment and is linked to unpleasant odors, water resource pollution, and major threats to marine ecosystems [28,43,47]. For instance, in sub-Saharan Africa, the environment is used for the open disposal of 70% of garbage production [28,30].…”

“…Low-income countries continue to have widespread practices of improper waste management, which involve the open disposal of waste in the environment and is linked to unpleasant odors, water resource pollution, and major threats to marine ecosystems [28,43,47]. For instance, in sub-Saharan Africa, the environment is used for the open disposal of 70% of garbage production [28,30]. Liberia faces ignificant challenges and growing concerns over the inadequacies of the country's waste management programs [27].…”