Household Waste Generating Factors and Composition Study for Effective Management in Gorkha Municipality of Nepal

Abstract

Municipal solid waste is a growing concern in cities of developing countries and households are the main contributor. Lack of reliable data sources remain one of the major drawbacks for deciding on effective waste management option. The study area Gorkha municipality is selected because it is one of the highly under-researched and least resource intensive municipalities in Nepal. However, continued growth in municipal waste if left unattended will only intensify the problem and thus demands proactive action. Therefore, the objective of this study is to analyze waste composition and to evaluate the socioeconomic factors impacting household waste generation for effective management. Using stratified sampling method, 401 households were selected from all 15 municipal wards. Socioeconomic factors impacting household waste generation were assessed using Ordinary Least Square regression model. The rate of household waste generation in Gorkha municipality is found to be 0.24 kg/capita/day and estimated total household waste generation of 9.4 tonnes/day. Household size and income are found to have positive impact on waste generation, both statistically significant at 1% and thus can be important indicators to forecast solid waste generation trend. Household waste composition was 47.25% organic waste, 37.52% recyclable waste that comprised of 10.38% paper and paper products, 9.88% glass, 6.92% metal, 5.39% plastic, 3.57% textile and 1.38% rubber and leather, and rest 15.23% other waste. Organic waste has the highest share and if not managed properly, creates serious health and environmental hazards. It could be managed efficiently by composting at household and local government level.