Solid Waste Management: A Socio-Economic Perspective of Urban and Peri-Urban Communities in Honiara

Abstract

The risks of poor waste management are multi-dimensional, including environmental, social, economic, and health. The consequences are particularly acute, in the context of developing countries. The Solomon Islands' National Solid Waste Management Strategy outlines the challenges, essentially in urban and peri-urban centers. Quantification of solid waste generation in urban and peri-urban centers across the nation, alongside the related attitudinal, social and economic impacts, remain largely unknown. Without proper understanding of the subject, attempts to solve the problem can, at best, be adhoc and are likely to be unsustainable. This paper provides an assessment of the solid waste management problem, and establishes the associated attitudinal and behavioral challenges, as well as the social and economic costs. I find that while awareness and concern for the environment reduce waste generation and positively impact household income, willingness to purchase less disposable plastic products, though reduces waste volume, negatively affects household income. The findings are expected to provide guidance for waste management policies in urban and peri-urban centers across the nation.