Household waste management practices in Tain district

Abstract

The purpose of the research was to investigate how households in the Tain district manage waste and to determine whether their waste management practices are appropriate to reducing environmental and sanitation related challenges. The population included all permanent residents in Tain District. The sample size for the study was 1,037. Female heads in each household were selected using the convenient sampling technique. A questionnaire and observation checklist, developed by the researcher was used to collect the data. Results indicated that the abundant type of waste generated in the district was food Scraps (41%). Moreover, majority (76.37%) used public dumpsite as waste disposal place. Also, majority (50.05%) of the participants were dissatisfied with waste management institutions in Tain District. Furthermore, majority of the participants have adequate knowledge on perceived health effects of indiscriminate waste management practices. Participants call for the provision of waste collection bins / containers to help properly manage the district waste. There is adequate knowledge on perceived health effects of indiscriminate waste disposal. The study concluded that waste generated at home was largely food scraps. Some community members practiced crude dumping in any available space, including gutters, streets and backyard. Some recommendations that were made included, there should be provision of enough dustbins/ public waste containers and employment of more Zommlion workers by the Tain District Assembly and Zoomlion