Household solid waste management strategies in the context of sustainable development: A case of old Highfield suburb Harare Zimbabwe.

Abstract

This study explored household solid waste management strategies in Old Highfield, a high-density suburb of Harare, Zimbabwe, within the framework of sustainable development. The research was guided by four objectives: to examine household waste management strategies, evaluate their effectiveness, identify the associated effects, and recommend sustainable community-appropriate interventions. A mixed-methods approach was employed, incorporating quantitative data from structured questionnaires completed by 255 respondents (83% response rate), alongside qualitative insights from 12 key informant interviews and field observations. The findings reveal that the dominant household waste disposal methods are open dumping (36.08%) and burning (26.26%), with municipal collection accounting for only 15% of waste handling. These practices are largely driven by irregular collection services, limited infrastructure, overcrowding and lack of public awareness. Many households (82.35%) do not practice waste separation due to space limitations, insufficient knowledge and the absence of support systems. The study found that current waste management practices have significant negative impacts, including increased disease prevalence, environmental degradation and socio-economic disruptions such as loss of income for informal traders and rising community conflicts. Evaluations of system effectiveness showed low satisfaction levels, with mean ratings below 2.5 on service adequacy, while environmental risks and disposal difficulties scored high (means >4.0), indicating widespread concern. Key recommendations include the improvement of municipal waste collection reliability, implementation of public education campaigns, enforcement of existing waste management by-laws and provision of infrastructure to support household-level waste separation and recycling. The study also advocates for the development of community-based waste initiatives that can generate livelihoods and promote environmental stewardship.