Economic effectiveness of municipal waste management practices :

Abstract

Solid waste management is both an urban and rural problem. Every person is a potential generator of solid waste and thus a contributor to this problem. The rate of solid waste generation is increasing at a very high rate and this is due to the increasing rate of urbanization. and population growth rate. Poor solid waste management results into environmental degradation due to wastes such as polythene bags which are non-bio degradable and it also affects human health. The study was carried out in the central division of Iganga Municipality with the major aim of generating information on the most cost effective techniques that can be applied in Iganga municipality to ensure efficient, solid waste management. The main objective of the study was to assess and evaluate the economic implication of poor solid waste management in Iganga municipality. This is to ensure that people attach economic value to the wastes from their households or business enterprise. The specific objectives of the study included; establishment of the types of wastes generated by the business enterprises, institutions and households, some of the challenges faced by the municipality as regards to solid waste management, the techniques of solid waste management and the willingness to pay for cost effective solid waste management Data was obtained by use of questionnaires, face to face interview and observation. Data was analyzed using Excel and SPSS, bar graphs and pie charts were used to present the results because they are easy to interpret and understand. Polythene is the major solid waste type generated, majority of the residents store their solid wastes in nylon sacks. There is limited utilization of the solid wastes generated because of residents' ignorance about the benefits of solid waste sorting. Residents' willingness to pay for effective solid waste management is low and the municipal council were considered not to be effective by most of the residents.