Exploring on- and off-site waste management practices of informal dwellers in South Africa

Abstract

Household waste is a major contributor to environmental pollution and health issues. This article explores waste management practices at the household level in low-income informal housing areas in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. The data collection consisted of a waste baseline assessment of household waste management and mapping and analysing illegal dumping spots in the immediate vicinity of the informal areas. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics 29. None of the municipalities in the study provides outside bins to households in informal areas. Approximately eighty-four percent (83.8%) of households in the study area receive some form of refuse removal, but illegal dumping was found in all areas. The results show that weekly collection of waste is not sufficient due to the limited space available to informal dwellers. Engagement with communities is important to collaboratively co-design locally appropriate ways of managing waste.