ABSTRACT
Solid waste management has been a topical issue in the urban centres of most developing
countries including Zimbabwe. This has posed serious environmental challenges in the cities of
Zimbabwe. However, this issue has concentrated on solid waste management in the urban areas
leaving out the rural areas. Solid waste generation in the rural areas has since increased both in
quantity and quality due to modernization. Solid waste composition in the rural areas has been
known to be dominated by organic materials with only a small proportion making up the
inorganic waste. This is no longer the case in present day as more inorganic wastes are being
produced in rural areas than organic wastes. Previous research has concentrated on solid waste
management in the large cities of Zimbabwe like Harare and Gweru, very little has been done on
rural solid waste management. To address this knowledge gap, a research study was conducted
in Mubaira growth point under Chegutu District. The goal of this study was to investigate the
solid waste management system in place in Mubaira so as to assess its effectiveness. It meant to
analyse the whole process from waste generation, storage, collection, transportation to disposal.
The people’s perceptions and attitudes towards waste practices such as reuse, recycling and
waste separation were also investigated. A total of 100 questionnaires were administered to the
two main target populations in Mubaira which were the residential/ households and the business
premises target populations. Stratified-systematic sampling was used in selecting the
respondents for the households target population, whilst purposive sampling was used for
selecting respondents in the business premises target population. Interviews, focus group
discussions as well as field observations were also used in this study. The study revealed that the
solid waste management system in Mubaira is inefficient as shown by the erratic waste collection
system, emergence of illegal and environmentally unfriendly waste management practices which
include burning and open dumping. It was gathered that solid waste management practices like
recycling, reuse and waste separation are not being practiced effectively in Mubaira which
exacerbated the problem of solid waste management. In light of this research, it was
recommended that Chegutu Rural District Council come up with an Integrated Solid Waste
Management system best suited to Mubaira growth point. It was also recommended that
Environmental education and campaigns be conducted on a regular basis so as to educate the
public on the importance of proper solid waste management and also to consult members of the
public when making decisions that affect them. This would reduce the level of resistance in the
implementation stage.
Takaedza, R (2021). The Solid Waste Management In Mubaira Growth Point, Chegutu Rural District Council. Afribary. Retrieved from https://afribary.com/works/the-solid-waste-management-in-mubaira-growth-point-chegutu-rural-district-council
Takaedza, Rumbidzai "The Solid Waste Management In Mubaira Growth Point, Chegutu Rural District Council" Afribary. Afribary, 01 May. 2021, https://afribary.com/works/the-solid-waste-management-in-mubaira-growth-point-chegutu-rural-district-council. Accessed 02 Nov. 2024.
Takaedza, Rumbidzai . "The Solid Waste Management In Mubaira Growth Point, Chegutu Rural District Council". Afribary, Afribary, 01 May. 2021. Web. 02 Nov. 2024. < https://afribary.com/works/the-solid-waste-management-in-mubaira-growth-point-chegutu-rural-district-council >.
Takaedza, Rumbidzai . "The Solid Waste Management In Mubaira Growth Point, Chegutu Rural District Council" Afribary (2021). Accessed November 02, 2024. https://afribary.com/works/the-solid-waste-management-in-mubaira-growth-point-chegutu-rural-district-council