The economics of residential solid waste disposal: evidence from Dar es Salaam city, Tanzania

The rate of improper disposal of solid waste is increasing at an alarming rate especially in urbanized areas. This study examines the patterns and determinants of solid waste disposal practices adopted by household budget survey data. The study uses a Multinomial Logit (MNL) model to examine the underlying determinants of choosing ways to dispose garbage, i.e., rubbish pit inside compound, rubbish pit outside compound, rubbish bin, thrown outside and other. The descriptive results reveal that about 35% of the respondents used rubbish bin, and approximately 24% were using throwing out option. This is against the use of rubbish pit outside compound, rubbish pit inside compound and other. Estimation results of a MNL suggest that household choices of these practices are determined by a certain combination of factors such as age, education and occupation of the household head, distance to the main road, home ownership, proportions of females and family members above 45 years, expenditure per adult equivalent and municipality location. This study provides useful insights into sustainable Solid Waste Management practices in Dar es Salaam city. It recommends that policy makers have to rely much on policies that will reduce poverty and raise households’ income. Then, the city has to increase the supply of waste containers on streets, to increase the number of municipal vehicles for garbage collection and to ensure the regular collection. Further, through mass education, media advertisements and use of fees or fines, could lead to safe solid waste disposal practices.