This study identifies and analyses the occupational risks associated with solid waste management practices in the informal enterprises of Gweru. Many concerns have been raised about the potential harm from waste to the environment and the general public, but the risks and consequent costs of occupational hazards in waste management have received little attention in the rush to adopt or adapt technologies such as composting. A multimethods research design that triangulates qualitative and quantitative research paradigms is employed in this study. The quantitative design involves physical characterisation of solid waste through material component separation and measurements as well as a questionnaire survey that investigates the risks associated with waste management. The qualitative component includes interviews, open-ended questionnaires, and field observations. Occupational risks occur at every stage in the waste management process, from the point where workers handle waste in the enterprises for collection or recycling to the point of ultimate disposal. Key findings from the study revealed that solid waste management practices are dominated by manual handling tasks hence the higher incidents of muscular-skeletal disorders. Other safety and health hazards associated with waste management in the informal enterprises of Gweru include incidents of diarrhoea, viral hepatitis, and higher incidents of obstructive and restrictive disorders.
This paper contributes to the debate on the role of the informal sector in solid waste management by examining the effectiveness of informal sector solid waste management practices in transforming waste into nonwaste in the city of Gweru in Zimbabwe. The study focused on 589 informal enterprises that were surveys using questionnaire interviews and focus group discussions with key informants. Analysis of solid waste management in the informal sector of Gweru has revealed that large amounts of waste are generated indicating poor material efficiency in the enterprises, especially in food market areas where huge amounts of biodegradable material and vegetable wastes are generated and disposed of haphazardly. Analysis of the key factors that include solid waste generation rates, collection frequencies and transportation, waste minimisation, and reduction practices showed that the current waste management system is unsustainable in the long run. The municipality of Gweru needs to provide more resources for financing, training, and manpower to enable effective provision of an environmentally friendly solid waste management system in the city, including the informal sector.
The aim of this study was to map the optimal sites that were environmentally suitable for locating a dumpsite in the Zimbabwean town of Banket as well as investigating the suitability of the dumpsite being currently used by the Banket Town Board. Geographic Information Systems and remote sensing constituted the main quantitative techniques used in data collection. Digitizing, buffering and overlaying were used to map suitable sites for locating a dumpsite in Banket. Environmental parameters were extracted from Google Earth by way of digitizing, buffered using Quantum GIS 2.8 and then overlaid using Quantum GIS 2.8 to produce the suitability map. In support of the quantitative techniques, qualitative techniques that included interviews, questionnaires, observations and literature were used to compliment the quantitative methods. Results of the research presented a suitability map which showed the possible suitable sites for establishing a dumpsite in Banket as well as the most considered suitable site in the eastern part of the town. In mapping the suitable sites according to a number of buffered parameters (Central Business District, Railway line, Road, and Rivers) the current dumpsite was found to lie within the parameters designated as unsuitable. It was recommended that Banket should consider closing its current dumpsite for a better location from the possible suitable sites established by the study especially the site on the eastern part of the town which is suitable in terms of all buffered parameters as well as other confounding variables that include economy, accessibility and elevation as well as slope.
Of all environmental problems that have come into focus in Gweru, institutional solid waste management has been the slowest to develop either direction or regulatory mechanisms. This study examines the characteristics of waste generated, and the effectiveness of the waste management system in the institutions. Measurements were used to determine the quantities of waste generated, and interviews and questionnaires were employed to assess the soundness of the system. The general picture is that significant quantities of waste are generated in the institutional sector, but there are no sound practices for managing the waste. This paper attempts to provide a framework for policy and planning strategies relating to solid waste management in public and private institutions in Gweru. Presently, institutional solid waste management is an area in which our ignorance still exceeds our knowledge.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.