Dar es Salaam City in Tanzania has incorporated household stakeholders in managing a vast generation of solid waste. However, the impact of household participation on the sustainability of solid waste management remains unclear. This study examines how households’ participation in solid waste management activities influences the sustainability of solid waste management in Dar es Salaam City. The study applied a cross-sectional research design with a sample of 377 households. It employed a mixed-methods approach to gain a comprehensive understanding of how household participation influences sustainability in solid waste management, thereby enhancing the validity and reliability of the findings. Data collection used surveys, focus group discussions, key informants’ interviews, and documentary review methods. Data were collected from six wards with diverse income levels, including low-income, mixed-income, and high-income areas. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics and the Binary Logistic Regression Model. Findings revealed that households' participation in decision-making significantly influences the sustainability of solid waste management (OR 2.300, p = 0.0073). Similarly, households’ skills significantly influence the sustainability of solid waste management (OR 4.017, p = 0.0088). The study concludes that the participation of households in decision-making and households’ skills create a conducive environment through which sustainable practices are merged into solid waste management systems. Although the study could not cover all municipalities in Dar es Salaam due to financial limitations, it recommends that the City Council and its Municipalities enhance community engagement initiatives to promote households' participation in sustainable solid waste management practices.
households’ participation, sustainability, solid waste, waste management
Grace Jeremiah Mpuya. PhD. Lecturer, College of Business Education, Tanzania. Email: grace.mpuya@cbe.ac.tz
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
This work was not supported by any funding.
This study was conducted in accordance with the ethical guidelines set by the College of Business Education, Tanzania. The conduct of this study has been approved and given relative clearance(s) by the Dar es Salaam Regional Commission Office.
The author declares the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in writing this paper. In particular, the author used ChatGPT in finding literature and other materials. The author takes full responsibility in ensuring that research idea, analysis and interpretations are original work.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the other researchers who have generously contributed their expertise to this study. I also wish to express my sincere gratitude to the Dar es Salaam City Council and its Municipal Authorities for their cooperation, which facilitated a smooth data collection process.
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Cite this article:
Mpuya, G.J. (2025). Household participation and the sustainability of solid waste management in Dar es Salaam City, Tanzania. International Review of Social Sciences Research, 5(2), 59-83. https://doi.org/10.53378/irssr.353181
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