Community Resident’s Opinions and Perceptions on the Effectiveness of Waste Management and Recycling Potential in the Umkhanyakude and Zululand District Municipalities in the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa

Bonginkosi Robert Dlamini, Isaac Tebogo Rampedi and Ayodeji Peter Ifegbesan
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Bonginkosi Robert Dlamini: Department of Geography, Environmental Management & Energy Studies, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 524, Auckland Park 2006, South Africa
Isaac Tebogo Rampedi: Department of Geography, Environmental Management & Energy Studies, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 524, Auckland Park 2006, South Africa
Ayodeji Peter Ifegbesan: Department of Arts and Social Sciences Education, Olabisi Onabanjo University, P.M.B, 2002, Ago-Iwoye 120107, Nigeria

Sustainability, 2017, vol. 9, issue 10, 1-19

Abstract: Despite new environmental laws and regulations in South Africa during the last two decades, especially around municipal solid waste management, there is little emphasis towards waste minimization through recycling. Whereas most waste management research in South Africa has focused on urban municipalities, not much is known regarding the effectiveness of waste management services and recycling challenges in rural areas. This paper reports on the effectiveness of waste management practices from the perspective of community residents in selected rural districts of the KwaZulu-Natal province. A random sample comprised of 333 community residents was selected for questionnaire-administered interviews. Based on the opinions and perceptions of respondents, the provision of waste management services is generally inadequate. Apart from the successful collection of domestic solid wastes (66.7%) from households by municipalities, the collection of recyclable waste materials from illegal waste dumps (75%) and from households (68.7%) are not being adequately provided. Thus, levels of dissatisfaction regarding municipal collection services are very high (97.3%) amongst respondents. Furthermore, systematic recycling initiatives that involve communities are largely non-existent and most (96.7%) respondents lack relevant technical knowledge on waste recycling and how it can be carried out effectively through waste segregation at source and other processes.

Keywords: waste management; waste minimization; recycling; rural district municipalities; community residents; households; satisfaction levels; willingness to recycle; waste separation; municipal solid waste; benefits and barriers (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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