Household participation and the sustainability of solid waste management in Dar es Salaam City, Tanzania
Grace Jeremiah Mpuya
Abstract
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.
Keywords
households’ participation, sustainability, solid waste, waste management
Author information & Contribution
Grace Jeremiah Mpuya. PhD. Lecturer, College of Business Education, Tanzania. Email: grace.mpuya@cbe.ac.tz
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Funding
This work was not supported by any funding.
Institutional Review Board Statement
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.
Data and Materials Availability
AI Declaration
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.
Notes
Acknowledgement
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.
References
Abir, T. M., Datta, M., & Saha, S. R. (2023). Assessing the factors influencing effective municipal solid waste management system in Barishal Metropolitan Areas. Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection, 11(01), 49–66. https://doi.org/10.4236/gep.2023.111004
Abubakar, I. R., Maniruzzaman, K. M., Dano, U. L., AlShihri, F. S., AlShammari, M. S., Ahmed, S. M. S., Alrawaf, T. I. (2022). Environmental sustainability impacts of solid waste management practices in the Global South. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(19), 12717. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912717
Afroz, R., Rahman, A., Masud, M. M., & Akhtar, R. (2017). The knowledge, awareness, attitude and motivational analysis of plastic waste and household perspective in Malaysia. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 24(3), 2304–2315. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-7942-0
Agwe, T. M., Twesigye-Omwe, M. N., Ukundimana, Z., Rotimi, D., & Gupta, S. (2025). Effects of seasonal variations of the physio-chemical properties of municipal solid waste on effective materials and resources recovery. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 4548. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-87780-4
Ahmed, A., & Van Dijk, M. P, M. (2023). Waste separation and 3R’s principles for sustainable SWM: Practice of households, private companies and municipalities in five Ethiopian Cities. In S. Zailani & S. Sarvajayakesavalu (Eds.), Solid Waste and Landfills Management—Recent Advances. IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.108327
Aki̇Ntunde, E., & Aki̇Ntunde, C. (2023). Acquisition and use of environmental education in solid waste management practices. Journal of STEAM Education, 6(2), 143–160. https://doi.org/10.55290/steam.1149800
Anderson, J. W. (1998). The Kyoto protocol on climate change. Resources for the Future.
Castin, C. P., Dalmacio, R. D., Flores, C. D., Lamug, B. M., & Manuevo, J. A. (2022). Household Solid Waste Management (HSWM) awareness and applications: A comparative study on urban and rural sustainable practices. International Journal of Environment, Engineering and Education, 4(3), 93-99. https://doi.org/10.55151/ijeedu.v4i3.79
Chisanga, A., Saul, S. T., Daka, S., Masebe, E., Mulenga, R., Banda, D., & Mwansa, P. (2024). Community engagement in solid waste management: An in-depth analysis of household participation and practices in Chelstone Township in Lusaka, Zambia. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 8(4), 2168-2194. https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2024.804147
Bikash, B., & Ichihashi, M. (2022). Household preferences for improved solid waste management (SWM) services: A randomized conjoint analysis in Kathmandu Metropolitan Ward No. 10. Sustainability, 14(4), 2251. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14042251
Datta, M. G. (2022). Household solid waste management in a developing world: An overview. Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution, 19(3), 97–102. https://doi.org/10.3233/AJW220045
Debnath, B., Bari, A. B. M. M., Ali, S. M., Ahmed, T., Ali, I., & Kabir, G. (2023). Modelling the barriers to sustainable waste management in the plastic-manufacturing industry: An emerging economy perspective. Sustainability Analytics and Modeling, 3, 100017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.samod.2023.100017
Debrah, J. K., Vidal, D. G., & Dinis, M. A. P. (2021). Raising awareness on solid waste management through formal education for sustainability: A developing countries evidence review. Recycling, 6(1), 6. https://doi.org/10.3390/recycling6010006
Dimoso, R. (2024). Household adoption of modern waste management technologies in Ilala Municipal Council, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. NG Journal of Social Development, 13(2), 218-231. http://doi.org/10.4314/ngjsd.v13i2.14
Draçi, P., & Laska, A. (2023). Public services, community, and its involvement in decision-making for local development. Interdisciplinary Journal of Research and Development, 10(1), 11. https://doi.org/10.56345/ijrdv10n102
Dung Tien Khong & Xuan Thi Dan Huynh. (2022). Households participation in waste management program in Mekong River Delta Vietnam: Parametric and non-parametric approaches. Journal of Social, Humanity, and Education, 2(2), 101–113. https://doi/https://doi.org/10.35912/jshe.v2i2.809
Fadhullah, W., Imran, N. I. N., Ismail, S. N. S., Jaafar, M. H., & Abdullah, H. (2022). Household solid waste management practices and perceptions among residents in the East Coast of Malaysia. BMC Public Health, 22(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-12274-7
Fernando, S. J., & Zutshi, A. (2023). Municipal solid waste management in developing economies: A way forward. Cleaner Waste Systems, 5, 100103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clwas.2023.100103
Godfrey, L., Ahmed, M. T, Gebremedhin, K G, Katima, J. H. Y, Oelofse, S., Osibanjo, O, Yonli, A. H, A. (2020). Solid waste management in Africa: Governance failure or development opportunity? In N. Edomah (Ed.), Regional Development in Africa. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86974
Goel, A., Awasthi, M., Sajwan, V., Sharma, P., Kumar, R., Memoria, M., & Pandey, S. D. (2022). Adoption of Solid Waste Management (SWM) practices: Empirical study of households in Meerut City, UP, India. 2022 International Conference on Advances in Computing, Communication and Materials (ICACCM), pp. 1–5. Dehradun, India: IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICACCM56405.2022.10009091
Heldal, R., Nguyen, N.-T., Moreira, A., Lago, P., Duboc, L., Betz, S., Venters, C. C. (2024). Sustainability competencies and skills in software engineering: An industry perspective. Journal of Systems and Software, 211, 111978. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2024.111978
Hu, J. R., Hui, T. Y., & Chan, J. K. (2025). The governance mechanism of household waste sorting in China: insights from residential communities in Yuelu, Changsha. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 1-19.
Hussein Mohamed Omar & Saphy Lal Bullu. (2022). Assessment of solid waste management practices in Tanzania’s cities. Global Journal of Engineering and Technology Advances, 13(1), 108–119. http://doi.org/10.30574/gjeta.2022.13.1.0180
Idris, I., Putri, D. Z., Azhar, Z., Martha, J., & Yeni, I. (2021). Willingness to participate in the analysis of urban waste management in West Sumatra, Indonesia. Journal Perspektif Pembiayaan Dan Pembangunan Daerah, 9(2), 115–126.
Kadam, D. D. (2025). Community Participation in Solid Waste Management in Rural Maharashtra. In Solid Waste Management for Rural Regions (pp. 69–100). IGI Global Scientific Publishing. http://doi.org/10.22437/ppd.v9i2.12119
Kaiser, H. M., & Drennen, T. E. (Eds.). (2022). Agricultural dimensions of global climate change (First edition). Routledge.
Kalwani, J. D. (2017). Community participation in solid waste management in rapid urbanizing market oriented countries: Morogoro Experience, Tanzania. Journal of The Geographical Association of Tanzania, 35, 38–52.
Kihila, J. M., Wernsted, K., & Kaseva, M. (2021). Waste segregation and potential for recycling -A case study in Dar es Salaam City, Tanzania. Sustainable Environment, 7(1), 1935532. https://doi.org/10.1080/27658511.2021.1935532
Kirkby, J., O’Keefe, P., & Timberlake, L. (Eds.). (1995). The Earthscan reader in sustainable development. New York: Earthscan.
Khong, T. D., & Huynh, X. T. D. (2022). Households participation in waste management program in Mekong River Delta Vietnam: Parametric and non-parametric approaches. Journal of Social, Humanity, and Education, 2(2), 101-113.
Kyambade, M., & Namatovu, A. (2025). Navigating trauma: mental well-being after Kiteezi landfill collapse and residential displacement in Uganda. Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal. http://doi.org/10.35912/jshe.v2i2.809
Kyere, R, Addaney, M, & Akudugu, J. A. (2019). Decentralization and solid waste management in urbanizing Ghana: Moving beyond the status quo. In Municipal Solid Waste Management. IntechOpen. http://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.81894
Ma, H., Li, M., Tong, X., & Dong, P. (2023). Community-level household waste disposal behavior simulation and visualization under multiple incentive policies—An agent-based modelling approach. Sustainability, 15(13), 10427. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151310427
Mapunda, A. S., Joseph, K. R., & Kasuwi, S. (2023). Impact of population dynamics on solid waste generation trends in Dar Es Salaam Metropolitan. International Journal of Advanced Research, 6(1), 75–87. https://doi.org/10.37284/ijar.6.1.1190
Muheirwe, F, Kombe, J. W, & Kihila, J. M. (2024). Solid waste collection in the informal settlements of African cities: A regulatory dilemma for actor’s participation and collaboration in Kampala. Urban Forum, 35, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12132-023-09482-2
Munro, K. (2023). The production of everyday life in eco-conscious households: Compromise, conflict, complicity. Policy Press.
Mwanza, B. G., Mbohwa, C., Telukdarie, A., & Medoh, C. (2019). Road to sustainable manufacturing: Why households are not participating in recycling programs in Ndola, Zambia? Procedia Manufacturing, pp. 33, 578–585. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.promfg.2019.04.072
Nasir, S. M., Shafii, H., & Yassin, A. M. (2023). Determining environmental ethics, personal norms, knowledge, and waste separation behaviour among households. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1205(1), 012002. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1205/1/012002
Ngware, N. M. (2015). Solid Waste Management in Dar es Salaam City. The Journal of Building and Land Development, 18, 107–124. http://journals.aru.ac.tz/index.php/JBLD/article/view/210
Noufal, M., Maalla, Z., & Adipah, S. (2021). Households’ participation in the solid waste management system of Homs City, Syria. GeoJournal, 86(3), 1441–1463. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-020-10139-x
Nyampundu, Mwegoha & Millanzi WC. (2020). Sustainable solid waste management Measures in Tanzania: an exploratory descriptive case study among vendors at Majengo market in Dodoma City. BMC Public Health. http://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-08670-0
Nyika, Joan & Dinka, M. (2023). Comparative urban waste management in developing countries—Case studies of Nairobi and Johannesburg Cities of Africa. In: Urban Commons, Future Smart Cities and Sustainability (pp. 625–644). Springer International Publishing. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24767-5_27
Olson, M. (1965). The logic of collective action: Public goods and the theory of groups. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Sabarinah, Z. (2017). The importance of waste management knowledge to encourage household waste-sorting behaviour in Indonesia. International Journal of Waste Resources, 07(04). https://doi.org/10.4172/2252-5211.1000309
Saeedi, K., Visvizi, A., Alahmadi, D., & Babour, A. (2023). Smart cities and households’ recyclable waste management: The case of Jeddah. Sustainability, 15(8), 6776. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15086776
Saleh, H., & Hassan, A. (2021). Introductory Chapter: Solid Waste. In H. M. Saleh (Ed.), Strategies of Sustainable Solid Waste Management. IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.95327
Saurabh, S. & Khan, R. (2022). 23—Sustainable waste management approach: A paradigm shift towards zero waste into landfills. In: Advanced Organic Waste Management (pp. 381–395). Elsevier. http://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-85792-5.00006-X
Thomas, E. F., Louis, W. R., & McGarty, C. (2022). Collective action for social change: Individual, group, and contextual factors shaping collective action and its outcomes. In: D. Osborne & C. G. Sibley (Eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Political Psychology (1st ed., pp. 492–507). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108779104.034
Trenberth, K. E. (2022). The changing flow of energy through the climate system (1st ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108979030
United Republic of Tanzania. (2022). Administrative Units Population Distribution Report.
Vanni, F. (2014). The role of collective action. In F. Vanni, Agriculture and Public Goods (pp. 21–37). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7457-5_2
Vinti, G., & Vaccari, M. (2022). Solid waste management in rural communities of developing countries: An overview of challenges and opportunities. Clean Technologies, 4(4), 1138–1151. https://doi.org/10.3390/cleantechnol4040069
Woodard, R., & Rossouw, A. (2021). An evaluation of interventions for improving pro-environmental waste behaviour in social housing. Sustainability, 13(13), 7272. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137272
Yazdani, S., & Lakzian, E. (2023). Conservation; waste reduction/zero waste. In: Pragmatic engineering and lifestyle (pp. 131-152). Emerald Publishing Limited. http://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80262-997-220231007
Yustas, Y. M., Tarimo, W. M., Mbacho, S. A., Kiobia, D. O., Makange, N. R., Kashaija, A. T., Silungwe, F. R. (2022). Toward adaptation of briquettes making technology for green energy and youth employment in Tanzania: A review. Journal of Power and Energy Engineering, 10(04), 74–93. https://doi.org/10.4236/jpee.2022.104006
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
License:
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) International License.
Find this article in:
Most read articles
- Social media usage and the academic performance of Filipino junior high school students
- A narrative exploration of romantic experiences and ideal relationship standards among Filipino Gen Z
- Exploring the factors influencing commuters’ satisfaction and the use of public utility buses in Quezon City, Philippines
- Students’ exposure to social media and their radical involvement on the societal issues in the Philippines
- ChatGPT integration significantly boosts personalized learning outcomes: A Philippine study
- Tiktok made me book it: The impact of Tiktok on tourism destination selection of generation Z and millennials in Manila
- Senior high school students’ awareness and literacy on computer software applications
- Self-perception of ABM students towards their academic, social and emotional college preparedness
- Enhancing financial literacy among Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program beneficiaries
- Emotional intelligence and leadership efficacy of university student leaders