Title: Community-based waste management initiative: case study from Harare, Zimbabwe

Authors: Moven Machamacha, Sunil Herat, Mercy Mudzingwa

Addresses: Chemical Engineering Department, Bahir Dar University, P.O. Box 26, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. ' Griffith School of Engineering, Nathan Campus, Griffith University, Queensland 4111, Australia. ' Department of Environmental Science and Technology, Chinhoyi University of Technology, Private Bag 7724, Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe

Abstract: Management of municipal solid waste remains a challenge for many countries south of African Sahara. This is attributed to inadequate local authority capacity to handle waste, rapid urbanisation, poor legislation and lack of public concern. Most of the waste generated is discarded into the surrounding environment causing significant health hazards. In Epworth, Zimbabwe a community-based group called CNM uses locally available equipment to collect and manage reusable material from the waste. This paper outlines how community based waste management groups offer solutions to waste management problems in developing countries and some of the challenges faced by them.

Keywords: community-based waste management; solid waste management; sustainable development; Zimbabwe; sustainability; municipal solid waste; reusable material; waste reuse; developing countries.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEWM.2011.039473

International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, 2011 Vol.7 No.3/4, pp.335 - 343

Published online: 24 Jan 2015 *

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