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Zero-Waste in the Global Cities
Published in Atiq Zaman, Tahmina Ahsan, Zero-Waste, 2019
The case of Dhaka represents WMSs in developing countries, where 100% waste collection is a key challenge for the city authority. Due to the lack of services and formal WMSs, the residents of Dhaka have adapted informal waste collection and recycling systems. Due to its socio-economic situation and lack of waste management services, the community-based informal waste collection systems in Dhaka play a significant role in waste management. It is debatable whether we should emphasize individual recycling activities, similar to those in developed cities, or community-based collection efforts, similar to those in developing cities. However, many believe that individual actions are often derived from the collective intention. For a ZW management system, a balance between individual actions and collective community participation seems essential.
Underutilization of waste as a resource: bottom-up approach to waste management and its energy implications in Lagos, Nigeria
Published in Intelligent Buildings International, 2022
Ayotunde Dawodu, Jumoke Oladejo, Zayyad Tsiga, Tatenda Kanengoni, Ali Cheshmehzangi
In Nigeria, municipal solid waste (MSW) is handled by government agencies and is labelled as ‘formal waste management system (FWSM)’ (Oguntoyinbo 2012). Alternately, the informal waste management system (IWMS) involves the unregistered activities of people involved in waste collection disposal and recycling (Oguntoyinbo 2012). In Nigeria the FWMS involves government and privately registered organizations whom deal with waste collection, transportation and disposal. On the other hand, the IMWS deals with collection, sorting and reuse of waste generally executed by individuals or groups termed as waste pickers, scavengers, or door to door waste collectors whom form the main body of informal waste sector (Afon 2007; Imam, Mohammed, and Cheeseman 2008; Wilson et al. 2009). Hence, the challenges associated with waste collection are diverse. Firstly, recycling in urban areas is tackled majorly through informal waste collectors (IWCs) whom are not legally recognized by Lagos state agencies and are considered unhygienic. Secondly, this informal waste collection system is useful for waste reuse and recycling but poses occupational risk as the waste pickers’ health concern receive negligible media attention to inform policies. Thirdly, although there is high likelihood of sourcing low quality material through this informal system, the probability of conflict between the illegal waste picker and the registered providers of waste service providers would affect any formally registered company revenues. For instance, Afon (2007) reveals that residents of Mushin and Kosofe LGA pay as low as N50 weekly to IWCs compared to Lagos state waste management authority (LAWMA), which demands a minimum of N500. Fourthly, the lack of social acceptability of IWCs as such act is considered shameful and public nuisance, which has resulted in numerous theft and vandalism accusations leaving citizens’ sceptical about their positive contributions (Afon 2007; Afon 2012). Lastly, the lack of a monitoring system, which is needed to optimize performance results in current waste values obtained through empirical estimates. Thus, IWCs further impedes the ability to collect accurate data (Oguntoyinbo 2012; Babayemi and Dauda 2009; Ugwuh 2009).