Assessing the Characteristics, Disposal Methods and Practices of Wastes in the Capital Cities of Central Niger Delta, Nigeria
Résumé
Waste management in the developing nation is becoming a serious environmental and health issues especially in terms of disposal methods and practices in which few studies have reported in the literature. However, the present study assessed the characteristics, disposal methods and practices of wastes in the Capital Cities of Central Niger Delta, Nigeria. Four hundred copies of structured questionnaire were administered randomly to the residents of the study area in order to elicit information about the subject matter. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed for the data analysis. Findings showed that 26–35 years age group constituted the largest portion of respondents (31.5%), the largest occupational groups were business/self-employed (24.7%) and most of the respondents had tertiary education (40.8%). Findings showed that in urban areas, the volume of non-biodegradable wastes included wastes types such as plastics, e-waste, and construction debris with their sources from households, markets, commercial hubs, and healthcare institutions while the peri-urban exhibited higher volumes of biodegradable waste, including food residue, agricultural litter, and animal droppings mainly generated from households, farms, and local markets. However, findings showed that the most frequently reported method of waste disposal is burning, with 25.2% indicating this as their primary method; followed by using large black polythene bags is the second most popular technique (22.7%), use of any polythene bags (18.9%) while use of commercial waste bins/drums only (10.1%), and only 4.5% engaged in recycling, and 6.0% in composting. There are statistically significant differences in waste disposal practices among respondents across the three states for all listed disposal methods (p < 0.05). It is concluded that the waste characteristics varied significantly between urban and peri-urban/rural ones, but the overall picture details a hazardous and unsustainable sanitation situation with volume of non-biodegradable wastes which included plastics, e-waste, and construction debris. In addition, the most frequently reported methods of waste disposal is burning which emits toxic chemicals, degrades the quality of air, and raises people's risks of contracting respiratory infections; and using of large black polythene bags for dumping waste in a random manner, and causing blocked drains and street litter. The study therefore recommended among others that there is need to establish a decentralized waste management systems tailored to urban and rural realities in strategic places in the Niger Delta. This should include formal composting for organic waste, localized recycling hubs for plastics and e-wastes, and community education programs to reduce unsafe disposal practices witnessed in this study, thereby improving environmental health and sustainability across the study area.