Domestic solid waste management and associated factors in Tabora municipality.

This study was done in Tabora Municipality in June/July 2001 to identify domestic solid waste management methods at household levels. A total of 416 households were visited. The head of the household either a male or female was interviewed using questionnaire. A total of 416 heads were interviewed of whom 20.2% were males and 79.8% females. Observation on the temporary domestic solid waste storage facilities and the methods used for storing and disposing domestic solid waste for those without temporary storage facilities was done. Also observation on the surroundings of each visited household was done to see whether there is accumulated domestic solid waste of approximately two weeks, using checklist. The sample was obtained using multistage sampling method, where three wards were selected, one peri-urban and two urban, out of eight rural and thirteen urban respectively. Study streets were selected from each ward. All households were visited and recorded except 26 households because the head of the household was not at home during the study and it was not possible to visit them at night. From the study it was found that 76.0% of the visited houses have no domestic solid waste temporary storage facilities and 24.0% have the facilities. Sixty percent of the visited households have accumulated domestic solid waste around their houses. Fifty point five percent (50.2%) of the interviewed heads of the households were willing to pay for the management of municipal solid waste. There was also statistically significant association between the way domestic solid waste are stored and disposed and accumulated. This problem according to the result of the study is due to improper collection, storage, and final disposal. The wards, which are near the urban center where there is a high commercial activity, are better served with municipal council on domestic solid waste management. There was very little community involvement in solid waste management in general in the study area. The Tabora Municipal Council collects and transfers domestic solid waste of 7.5% of the visited households. This means that 92.5% of the households manage their domestic solid waste at household level using different methods available, which they can afford. The main traditional methods used to store domestic solid waste at household levels are ground (refuse) pits (49.1%), in the farm (28.5%), open dumping site near the house (16:8%) and other methods (5.7%). Final disposal methods used at household levels are burning (61.9%), burying in the soil (36.9%), and other methods (1.2%) and this procedure is normally done around the house or in the farm. The magnitude of the environmental pollution due to the aforementioned practices is not yet known in Tabora Municipality. There is a need of monitoring environment pollution in the future if these practices are allowed to continue, to prevent health and environmental hazards associated with solid waste disposal using traditional methods. This study shows that majority of the domestic solid waste are not managed according to standard, where all solid waste are supposed to be collected and transferred to the selected landfills. This improperly managed domestic solid waste together with other reasons was associated with accumulation of domestic solid waste in the residential areas. Involvement of producers of solid waste in its management is of paramount importance, because by doing so, it will change their life-style towards production of solid waste. Because the more they produce, the more they will pay for its management. From this study it can be concluded that the sole problem of accumulation of domestic solid waste in residential areas is mainly due to improper storage, disposal, lack of proper storage facilities, inadequate municipal solid waste management services and lack of awareness and community involvement. For example, those households that are near the municipal portable containers are not properly using them due to lack of temporary storage facilities. Community sensitization and awareness creation should be done to dispose biodegradable and non-biodegradable separately, so that biodegradable can be used as soil conditioner especially in the peri-urban areas where people are practicing small farming. This will reduce amount of solid waste to be transported.