Solid waste management practices in an indigenous Nigerian city: a case of Alesinloye in Ibadan

Abstract

Solid waste management (SWM) is an essential urban service in every human settlement. Despite its importance, cities globally struggle to guarantee its provision even in developed countries. This study examines SWM practices in Alesinloye, Ibadan, Nigeria. A structured questionnaire prepared with KoboCollect was used to interview 182 households using a convenience sampling technique. Findings revealed that households are predominantly married youth with formal education and largely from the Yoruba ethnic group. It further established that food constitutes the leading solid waste component in households. The food waste, along with other waste materials generated, was disposed of mixed because there is no waste sorting system. The households mainly adopt unhygienic and unsustainable approaches such as disposable polythene bags and open space to store solid waste generated temporarily. The private waste firm was primarily responsible for solid waste collection using door-to-door (kerbside) methods in providing its service. The solid waste collection is mostly executed weekly, and the majority of the households consider it suitable. The households paid users’ charges of between ₦500 ($1.09) and ₦ 2000 ($4.35) monthly, and the variations were attributed to mainly waste quantity. While 75.2% of the households expressed satisfaction with users’ charges on solid waste services, 78.6% were unwilling to pay more for improved services, thus indicating the value placed on environmental quality. Finally, the study recommends the establishment of a SWM system towards zero waste community; the establishment of a waste management committee to serve as environmental stewards; the intensification of public campaigns and awareness of the importance of sustainable SWM, and the resuscitation of the Alesinloye recycling plant.