Assessment Of The Challenges, Practices, Attitude And Opportunities Of Solid Waste Collectors In Lideta Sub City, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abstract

Solid waste refers to any garbage refuse, sludge from homes and business areas that discarded by the peoples. This paper aims to focuses on the challenges, practices, Attitudes and opportunities faced by solid waste collectors in Lideta Sub City of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The primary data were gathered through interviews, questionnaires and field observations from study areas of districts 01, 03 and 10 existing in the sub city. Whereas, secondary data were extracted from different published and unpublished materials. Community based cross sectional research design was employed. The Questionnaire was prepared in line with the objectives of the study and distributed to respondents. Based on the limited nature of the respondent it is better using purposive Sampling methods, 232 respondents were selected from three districts of Lideta sub-city. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were employed with SPSS version 26.7 to analyze the data at hand. Regarding the challenges faced by solid waste collectors, the majority of respondents (39.2%) believe that communities have not respected or supported the cleaners and waste pickers. Only a few (3.4%) strongly agreed with this statement. In terms of the practices of solid waste collectors, about (37.9%) respondents disagreed with the idea that there is sufficient training emphasis on the system of collecting solid waste across all sectors. This suggests that training on the waste collection system is essential to improve efficiency and health-related work. When asked about job opportunities for solid waste collectors, 32.8% of respondents strongly agreed that raising awareness about waste issues is effective, while only 15.1% disagreed. About 27.6% of the respondents strongly agreed that, societies have temporary storage container for generated refuse at home like Plastic Dust Bin, Plastic Bag, Paper and Wooden container solid waste controlling mechanism of municipality is effective. Future initiatives should focus on bridging identified gaps and fostering a sustainable and communitydriven approach to waste management improved waste collection infrastructure, training and capacity building programs for waste collectors, and public education campaigns to promote waste reduction.by addressing the challenges, improving practices, and capitalizing on opportunities, the solid waste management system in Lideta Sub City can be transformed into a more sustainable and efficient model. This will contribute to a cleaner environment, better public health, and enhanced of job opportunities for waste collectors