Community Participation in Solid Waste Management

Solid waste management in high density low-income areas is a problem that manifests itself in ubiquitous illegal dumpsites and unhealthy living environmental conditions. Community participation in solid waste management in C-Section in Duncan Village a township in South Africa, has been found to be part of the solution to this problem. This study investigates community participation in SWM at household level, community waste project level and at informal salvaging/scavenging level. The integration of community participation into existing municipal waste management plans and the nature of the relationship between different interest groups are investigated. The nature of the relationships between stakeholders is fraught with conflicts. The study suggests that this conflict is due to a lack of communication, and should be addressed and that integrated participation of all stakeholders must be encouraged for effective solid waste management in high density low-income communities.Recommendations from this study should be useful for municipal managers and town planners struggling with solid waste management in a third world urban context.