GEOGRAPHY FIELD PROJECT RESEARCH

MINISTRY OF GENERAL EDUCATION

CHELSTON SECONDARY SCHOOL
GEOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT

NAME : SAKALA JOSEPH

EXAMINATION : 180705740092
SCHOOL CODE : 9034
CLASS : 12 E
NAME OF SUPERVISOR : MRS. HACHIZO
YEAR : 2024

TITLE:SOLID WASTE MANAGEMEN

TYPES OF WASTE IN KAUNDA SQUARE COMPOUND

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Table of contents pages

Acknowledgement…………………………………………….. 3
Introduction……………………………………………………….. 4
Background……………………………………………………….. 5
Location…………………………………………………………….. 6
Limitation of the study………………………………………. 6
Statement of the problem…………………………………. 7
Aim/Objectives………………………………………………….. 8
Hypothesis…………………………………………………………. 8
Methodology…………………………………………………….. 9
Data presentation……………………………………………… 10
Data analysis…………………………………………………….. 12
Waste collection……………………………………………….. 15
Conclusion……………………………………………………….. 22
Recommendation……………………………………………… 23

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I first thank the Almighty God for his protection and the gift of knowledge from the start to the
completion of this work. Without Him I would do nothing.
I would like to express my deep gratitude to Mrs. my supervisor, for guiding and encouraging
me to complete this research. Without his numerous suggestions, this paper would never have
been completed. He constantly inspired and motivated me to achieve my academic goals.
My special thanks go to my fellow students for their encouragement and assistance in various
issues regarding this research work. In addition, I thank the Citizens whose responses were
invaluable to the study. Most importantly , I thank and especially Lusaka City Council for sharing
their in depth knowledge of Solid waste management in Kaunda square

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 INTRODUCTION

Globally, around 1.3 billion tons of garbage is generated each day. This translates into each city
dweller generating about 1.2 kilograms daily. It is estimated that this will increase to 2.2 billion
tons , the amount of waste is rising due to the continuous increase of the population, changes
in lifestyle and increasing urbanization . Solid Waste Management (SWM) is a major public
health concern worldwide as poor management of waste not only leads to declining
environmental health conditions but also contributes to disease outbreaks. This creates the
challenge of how to handle waste, especially after disposal, making sustainable solid waste
treatment a vital area of engagement for future city development. It is important that effective
and sustainable waste management practices are developed to ensure that all generated waste
is well disposed of and treated thereafter. This research thus investigated waste treatment
methods in the city of Lusaka, Zambia (specifically Kaunda square ) as pertaining to “what
happened after” the waste was disposed of and how sustainable the treatment methods were.
UN-Habitat (2010) highlighted that Zambia’s waste generation rates were approximately 0.52
kg per person daily While this may seem modest compared to the 1.2 kg per person generated
in developed countries, most garbage in the developing world is not collected by municipal
collection systems because of poor management, equipment failure, or inadequate garbage
management budgets, thereby worsening waste management and sustainable disposal and
treatment, such as the case of Zambia. Zambia Environmental Management Agency (2011)
argues that despite the existence of a national SWM strategy, the growth of the urban
population and increased economic activity had resulted in an accumulation of waste. This
study is proving the validity and depth of the cited claim by doing a further investigation. Even
though equipment failure and inadequate budgets was a known problem at the time of the
study, the UN-Habitat statement on worsening waste management can be further investigated.
Considering that less than 20% of Kaunda square waste was treated after disposal, there was
an inherent risk of environmental susceptibilities, due to the failure to sort waste. According to
the Lusaka City Council and Environmental Council of Zambia (hereinafter referred to as the
Council or LCC) (2016), Kaunda square generates about 100 tons of solid waste daily. The
challenge is that only about 30 tons of the waste is disposed of at the designated dumpsites
and treated in a sustainable environmental manner. Management of urban refuse in Lusaka is a
responsibility of the Council through its Waste Management Unit (WMU), which is under the
Public Health Services Directorate. In addition, the problem of public health intensifies during
the rainy season, when outbreaks of various diseases like cholera and dysentery, are generated
in most parts of kaunda square
These diseases spread and propagate because of the poor sanitary conditions. Solid waste is
often contaminated with human or animal excreta. Those who handle the waste, or work

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where the waste accumulates, will therefore often be at risk from excreta-related infections
and diseases. In 2016, Zambia reported about 1,179 cases of cholera, with 31 deaths including
eight children. The increasing solid waste generated in Kaunda square coupled with rapid
urbanization and development of new residential areas was not accompanied by adequate
sanitation facilities and management programs leaving the Council with less resource to spend
on waste management. This paved way for the mushrooming of small and medium-sized
enterprises that collected solid waste from residential areas at a fee. The Council then involved
the communities in the management of solid waste by introducing Community Based
Enterprises (CBEs) to control and supplement their efforts. The CBEs reach out to 30% of the
city despite the tendency of citizens to not pay for the services offered. More than 30% of the
population of kaunda square have waste collection through informal service providers who are
not registered with the Council and therefore do not use the controlled disposal facility. Waste
disposal is a critical stage in SWM as well as ensuring the waste is taken to the right disposal
site. However, the most critical stage is waste treatment. Over recent years, the WMU
encountered a number of problems including inadequate disposal areas and unsustainable
treatment methods such as failure to correctly carry out the sanitary landfill method at
dumpsites, un-managed burning and uncontrolled burying of waste; the implications of
burning, such as air pollution and production of poisonous gases, cannot be ignored. The
practice goes further to increase prevalence of respiratory diseases by exposing people to the
dangers posed by the explosion of spray cans when exposed to fire. Uncontrolled burying of
waste too, could pollute the environment. Also, poor disposal of non-biodegradable wastes like
plastics could be harmful to the environment. There is argues that the environmental pollution
by plastic wastes is now recognized widely to be a major environmental burden. According to a
research conducted, the most common method for waste treatment in kaunda square
compound was landfilling. This was conducted at Chunga Dumpsite. In landfilling, a layer of
waste would be levelled and covered with a thin layer of soil. For burying, the aim was
decomposition of waste, although this could result into green house effect. Greenhouse effect
is one problem of poor waste disposal, but contamination through improper waste disposal is
also problematic. Burning of waste without incinerators created air pollution and risked fire
breakouts or explosions.
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Kaunda square is known to be substandard area of settlement with a lot of challenges
pertaining to waste management. The area is faced with number of challenges relating to
sanitation due to crowding effects of settlements style. Due to crowding, waste management is
a big challenge in the compound. However, failure to manage waste in a proper manner has got
a very huge negative impact the environment. In line with this problem the Lusaka city council
has been engaging private sectors on its behalf to carry out waste management duties.
Moreover, Kaunda square is a settlement of low class of people who are

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economically impaired and not able to pay garbage collection by private companies registered
with Lusaka city council this has results in disposing of waste in undesignated area such as
drainages along the market places and many more illegal sites

location
Location Kaunda square compound is located in the eastern side of Lusaka town and southeast
of Chamba valley . It is also next to kamanga.

Limitations of the research

Though its methodology can be applicable to other regions, the study will cover the region
specified considering a few important details as dictated by the available time and finance.
Furthermore the study shall apply probabilistic methods in selecting the subjects and thus may
be prone to some error. Thus the study shall seek to be as precise as possible but for accuracy,
more detailed study .

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 problem statement
Solid wastes in Kaunda square are a by-product of a broad spectrum of industrial. solid wastes
include the chemical, petroleum, metals, wood, paper, leather, textile and transportation
industries. Secondary smaller generators include auto and equipment repair shops,
electroplaters, construction firms, dry cleaners and pesticide applicators. Mismanagement of
these wastes typically results in pollution of the natural environment and may pose substantial
danger to public health and welfare. The bulk of solid wastes are generated from: - Pesticide
repackaging, formulation and distribution – Pharmaceuticals, – Plastics ,where there are about
100 producing thermal setting, flimsy packaging. – Soap, Perfumes, Cosmetics, Toiletry, Cement
and Lime – Ceramics, glass and petroleum
wastes constitute about 23 percent of the total solid wastes generated in the kaunda square .
The collection and disposal of industrial waste in Kaunda square is done by industries
themselves. Though its disposal is done at a Municipal dumpsite, the industries have the
responsibility to collect and dispose the waste at the designated dumping site.
Only about 25 percent of the estimated 1,50 tons of solid waste generated daily in Kaunda
square gets collected. Yet, until the mid-2019 the Lusaka City Council singly collected over 70
percent of the waste. In the mid-2021, the appalling LCC performance and demand for
municipal solid waste management services attracted private sector providers. It is now
estimated that there are at least 8 private companies engaged in solid waste collection services
in the kaunda square .
The extent and nature of the solid waste management problem can be summarized as follows.
First, the collection ratio, that is, the proportion of the solid waste generated that is collected, is
low. As mentioned, this is estimated to be as low as 25 per cent. Second, marked inequality in
the geographical service distribution characterizes the service. Broadly, the Western part of the
kaunda square is well serviced by the private firms and the LCC while the Eastern part is hardly
serviced. High-income and some middle-income residential areas together with commercial
areas are well serviced by private companies. Small private firms are increasingly servicing
some of the relatively better-off low-income areas. The core low-income areas (slums and other
unplanned settlements) where -30-40 percent of Kaunda square residents live, however,
receive no waste collection service, save for localized interventions by community-based
organizations (CBOs).
The study found 26 per cent of households in high-income parts 16 per cent of those in middle-
income areas, 75 per cent of those in low-income areas, and 74 per cent of the surrounding

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area do not receive any service. Not surprisingly, thus, residents in low-income parts are
dissatisfied with waste collection services, are aware of the health risks associated with the
problem, and are willing to pay for improved services in spite of their low incomes Third, there
is widespread indiscriminate dumping in illegal dumpsites and waste pickers litter the city with
unusable waste materials without control.
Which is full and located in a densely populated part of the city, a whole 7.5km from the central
Business district along a road with heavy traffic. Moreover, waste pickers and dealers ‘control’
this dumpsite, forcing the LCC and private companies to ‘bribe’ to have access to the dump.
Fifth and related to fourth above, the city has no transfer facilities. As a result of these disposal
problems, almost all enterprises tend to use uncontrolled and unhygienic landfills as the
predominant mode of disposal. To cut costs, many generators of solid wastes have now taken
to combustion at the site, which causes air pollution problems. The bulk of these wastes
contain plastics, which when burnt generate carcinogenic vinyl chloride monomers and dioxins.
The generators and private waste collection firms, again to avoid costs, dump in illegal places
since an effective monitoring system lacks.
A survey conducted on the residents around the dumping site during the study revealed That
there are serious complaints about smoke, smell, and broken glasses. Respiratory and stomach
Problems among children are common in the nearby clinics and were cited by the people
interviewed. Sixth, solid wastes in the city are not segregated, with the exception of
unstructured reuse of some waste materials at the household level. The private sector waste
collectors, in addition, do not process waste in any way, which affects effective and efficient
SWM. Consequently, the chunga dumpsite is littered with all types of wastes from hospital
wastes, manufacturing/industry wastes, paper and Biodegradable materials.

Objectives of the Study

The purpose of this research was to find out how effective and sustainable the solid waste
treatment methods were in Kaunda square .
The specific objectives were to investigate how the solid waste was disposed of and treated
after collection, such as the methods of treatment used, assessment of how sustainable the
current methods of treatment were and to investigate the challenges faced in treating waste.
Research hypothesis
Given current technology and disposal patterns, solid waste disposal is and will remain a
necessary and important component of environmental management. We will need sustainable
disposal systems for the foreseeable future for those wastes which cannot be reduced, reused,
or recycled.

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1. Subjects and Methods
1.1. Study Design
The study adopted a qualitative design to get deeper understanding of what really goes on with
solid waste treatment in Kaunda square . Naturalistic observations, at the dumpsite and
interviews were conducted. One-on-one Interviewers were conducted with all participants.
Where interviews were not possible, participants answered interview questions in
questionnaire format.

1.2. Sample size

The research only covered Kaunda square based enterprises involved in collection and
treatment of waste. These included the Council and nine other subcontracted companies and
CBEs that were involved in waste management around the city. These nine companies were the
only selected companies because they were registered with the Council and legally known
companies operating in Kaunda square at the time of the research.
1.3. Sampling method
The sample of participants was purposively selected due to their essential knowledge and
involvement in the operations of SWM practices. The nine key respondents were drawn from
the Council as these companies had been engaged by the Council to collect and dispose of
waste in Kaunda square . The research also targeted Lusaka’s main legal and designated
disposal site, Chunga Dumpsite, which was visited for observation purposes by the researcher.
The nature of social research entailed that many ethical issues be taken into consideration
when conducting the study. Throughout the research, the following codes of conduct were
followed: (i) informed consent was received from all respondents, (ii) participation was
voluntary with freedom of withdrawal, and (iii) respondents were kept anonymous to ensure
confidentiality. Collected data were only used for academic purposes.

1.4. Data collection methodology

The research involved the use of two different interviews; one specifically for the Council as the
main body mandated to run SWM and another type for private companies. The interview guide
focused on the subject of sustainable solid waste treatment methods and what the enterprises
were doing about waste treatment. The open ended questions in the interview guide also
enabled the respondents to express their views on the study. Collected questionnaire data was
then analyzed using qualitative methods, by creating tables from the available data. For
naturalistic observation, an observation guide was used at the dumpsite. Naturalistic
observation techniques were used to observe the situation at the dumpsite in its natural setting
and monitor the methods of solid waste treatment after disposal. Photographs were also taken
of observed sites.

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Questionnaires
These are set of questions designed in a simple and clear manner and distributed to the target
people.
The questionnaires are made simple , clear and short in order to boost the response level of the
Residents and get accurate information.
The questionnaires were administered in two methods:
a) Self administered – this is where the researcher had them delivered to the target group
and

Asked them to complete the questionnaires themselves

b) The researcher administered the questionnaires to the respondent . this was done when
the

Respondent found it difficult to understand the question due to language barrier, this case was
Common in the Somali community where my research was based.
Secondary data collection
The method used in the project to collect secondary data included:
I. Desk review of relevant national and international publications and records
II. Textbooks from the library

Lecture notes
ALL these data collection methods were chosen based on critical examination of their suitability
for The study given the limitations and the circumstances under which the study was
undertaken. For Instance questionnaires were chosen because they are familiar to most people,
are easy to analyze,
Reduce bias, less intrusive than telephone or face-to-face surveys and are more cost effective
as the Number of research questions increases
Data presentation
Results
The following are the results from the interviews with the ten companies. Information of
naturalistic observations has also been incorporated to give context. Main findings are broken

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down into four sections namely; (i) Waste Collection, (ii) Waste Disposal and Uses, (iii) Solid
Waste Treatment and (iv) Sustainability of SWM and Challenges Faced.

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 DATA ANALYSIS
1. Solid Waste Generation:
The average solid waste generation per capita in Zambia is 0.65 kg/day, with a total daily
generation of 12,000 tons.
2. Waste Composition:
The composition analysis reveals:
- Organic waste (food waste, yard trimmings): 60%
- Inorganic waste (plastics, paper, glass): 30%
- Hazardous waste (batteries, electronics): 10%
3. Waste Disposal Methods:
- Uncontrolled dumping: 60%
- Open burning: 20%
- Controlled landfilling: 10%
- Recycling: 5%
- Composting: 5%
4. Municipal Solid Waste Management:
- Collection efficiency: 70%
- Collection frequency: 2-3 times/week
- Transportation vehicles: 50% are functional
5. Household Survey:
- 80% of households dispose of waste in uncontrolled dumpsites
- 60% of households do not separate organic and inorganic waste
- 40% of households use open burning as a disposal method

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2.1. Waste Collection
The Council and the enterprises engaged in waste management in kaunda square managed
the collection of waste. The table shows the company names, areas where the particular
company collected waste and the waste collection category; either primary or secondary
collection. The table shows the enterprises, collection areas , as well as the type of waste
collection they are involved in (Table 1). From the research findings, all enterprises including
the Council had specific areas where waste was collected. These zones were allocated to each
enterprise by the Council because it was the Council that sub-contracted them. In addition,
most of these enterprises belonged to a union that protected them if conflicts arose. There
were mainly two kinds of collectors; primary or secondary collector. Secondary collection
involved moving waste from the household to the dumpsite, whereas in primary collection,
household waste was first moved to a container before another company collected it for
disposal at the dumpsite. A map showing waste collection sites in kaunda square , Lusaka
Zambia has been attached (Figure 1). Most companies indicated that they were both primary
and secondary collectors. For instance, the Council, a secondary waste collector, collected
waste from three zones (the central business district and two residential areas within its
vicinity). Private companies like CITIMOP, also a secondary waste collector, collected waste
from two groups of clients; corporate companies like hotels and the airport, and planned
conventional residential areas. CBEs on the other hand, involved individuals or a group of
people from the community who predominantly collected waste from unplanned settlements
or areas. In addition, majority of the enterprises indicated that they collected waste from their
jurisdictions once or twice a week. Enterprises that worked with corporate and/or institutions
producing mass waste such as hotels collected waste on a daily basis.

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 60

50

40
Key
30 Percent

20

10

0
Once in a week Once in a month Twice in month Irregularly

2.2. Waste Disposal and Uses

It is sufficed to mention that all the secondary waste collectors interviewed stated that they all
disposed of their waste at the main dumpsite. When asked if at all these companies did
anything to the waste after disposal, majority of the kaunda square indicated that they used
the waste for other purposes, whilst the private companies indicated that they did not do
anything with the waste. The majority of Kaunda square highlighted that they were involved in
recycling and reusing waste and also indicated that they sold the waste to manufacturing
companies who made various products like egg trays, chairs, electricity pipes, plastics and other
kinds of papers. the disposal sites and the various uses of the waste after collection. The ways
in which waste was used or handled after collection. The disposal sites varied from across
enterprises depending on whether the enterprise was a primary or secondary waste collector.
According to this research, a primary collector only collected waste from the households or
community to a waste point or container in the community, awaiting for the Council or
assigned enterprise to take the waste to the dumpsite. On the other hand, a secondary waste
collector included those enterprises that collected waste to the final waste disposal dumpsite at
the main dumpsite.

2.3. Solid Waste Treatment.

Landfilling was the most common waste treatment method used by the Council. This had not
been effectively carried out for the past three years due to equipment failure. As a result, the

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landfilling equipment that was supposed to compact the waste by covering it with soil to
prevent breeding insects and other dangerous diseases, and reduce the area occupied by waste
could not function. Burning was also another treatment method carried out at the dumpsite
using incineration. There was a fairly big, traditional incinerator at the site where expired
goods, chemicals or harmful substances were burnt down. Incineration was usually for goods
that were considered harmful to the society. The Zambia Bureau of Standards and other
relevant authorities took up the mandate to incinerate such goods so that they were not sold to
the public or consumed by the people at the site. The treatment methods were controlled and
conducted only by the Council and other standards regulatory bodies like Zambia
Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA). Figure 2 shows crude dumping at the dumpsite,
with little or no landfill method of waste treatment as observed at the site. At the time of the
research, there were only two machines managing the Chunga Dumpsite whilst the main waste
compacter had been down for over three years.

Solid Waste Management and Challenges Faced

This segment was only answered by the Council. As regards to the extent to which the
treatment methods use were effective, the Council stated that the landfill method was
the best waste treatment method. By design, the Chunga Dumpsite was built to last for
25 years on the same piece of land, provided that the necessary equipment and
personnel were available to conduct the landfill activity effectively. However, with the
observed mode of waste disposal and equipment failure, the facility was not expected
to last up to the stated years of capacity. The site had been transformed from a landfill
to an indiscriminate dumping site. In the 13th year of operation, the dumpsite was
almost full. On the other hand, incineration was found to be more long lasting,
permanent, durable and sustainable because waste was completely reduced and burnt
to ashes. Also, dangerous products could be reduced completely without toxic gases
released because waste products were burnt down at very high temperatures. As a
result, less or no land was occupied as compared to the landfill method. Even with
this,the site only had one incinerator

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 THE PIE CHART SHOWS THE TYPES OF SOLID WATE IN CHUNGA

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2.5. The Conditions of Waste Pickers and workers at the Site
Members of the public who worked at the site searching for useful materials in order to earn a
living were very easy to spot. Both the adult waste pickers and children faced more constant
occupational risks and injuries.
Figure 3. Poor sanitary conditions for workers and waste pickers, Chunga Dumpsite.while working at
the dumpsite

The workers included; the Council workers and the waste collectors who transported the waste.
For the most part, the Council officers worked in very poor health and hygiene conditions. Even
though there were some measures in place to protect their health, they were only given milk to

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drink, whilst their bodies were still exposed to diseases and other harmful substances without
any protective gear.
3. Discussion
3.1. Waste Collection
The Council stated that its role was to ensure the city’s cleanliness through proper SWM at all
levels; household, corporate and commercial. municipalities were responsible for properly
managing waste in areas under their respective jurisdictions and implementation of measures
to construct, improve and maintain waste management facilities. The Council’s role was to
supervise waste management activities and conduct routine inspections of both private
enterprises and CBEs, and ensure that the laws and by-laws on illegal waste management were
enforced and adhered to. The majority of the private enterprises indicated that their role was
primarily in collection and disposal of waste as either secondary or primary collectors.
Secondary collection involved moving waste to the final dumpsite while primary did not. The
Council indicated that its collection of waste was an ongoing process by routine (regular
collection points) and on-call, in cases where waste might have been dumped poorly, illegally or
was not managed as per regulation and standards. The Council was to ensure the smooth
running of SWM operations.
3.2. Waste Disposal and Uses
From the observations, the dumpsite in Lusaka was not fully utilized due to a poor waste
disposal system of merely indiscriminate disposal and piling up of waste without undertaking
landfill method which was the sole purpose of the main dumpsite. highlights shows that only a
fraction of the solid waste generated in Kaunda square was collected and disposed of at the
designated sites. The remaining uncollected waste was left on the streets, roadsides and
drainages, resulting in the outbreak of cholera and other diseases and contributing to the
general deteriorating of the environment, which has become an urgent issue in Zambia.
Figure 4. Female waste picker carrying disposed waste for recycling.

(Taken by the authors)

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A private company, CITIMOP enterprises, indicated that though they were only into waste
disposal services, they were considering engaging in recycling and reuse of waste in future. On
the other hand, a company called HWSWM enterprises highlighted that they supplied various
companies waste for reuse and recycling, like cart boxes and plastic materials. However, HW
SWM indicated that it was an expensive venture to engage in recycling waste due to resources
and time spent on waste sorting, with the money obtained being insufficient to cover cos. the
responsibility for sorted waste disposal on consumers, collection on municipalities, and
recycling on business operators; requiring these three entities to work together to promote the
recycling of waste.
The Council indicated that it was involved in recycling and reuse of waste, having worked with
an inventory of recycling companies for over 10 years. Figure 4 shows a female waste picker
carrying disposed waste for recycling. The dumpsite was normally crowded by waste pickers
and scavengers because waste collection had become a growing business due to recycling.
Emerging recycling companies in Lusaka’s industrial area usually bought plastic materials for
their trade people also argues that some companies in kaunda square have implemented
waste separation systems to take care of their corporate social responsibility; though the
system is not yet ideal, recycling of waste has increased.
3.3. Solid Waste Treatment
All the private companies and CBEs indicated that the treatment of solid was entirely the
responsibility of LCC, as their role in waste management ended at the disposal phase. The
Council accepted responsibility of waste treatment and indicated that waste treatment would
be a much easier process to undertake if there was waste sorting and separation at the source,
particularly household level. According to the Ministry of the Environment consumers
generating waste are responsible for promoting waste recycling by using recycled products and
for reducing waste disposal or sorting waste to be disposed of, thereby cooperating with
national and local governments in their efforts to reduce and properly manage waste. Japan’s
main strategies focused on waste reduction at source and recycling, with the complements of
incineration and landfills, in order to build a recycling- based society. Measures implemented
were draft laws like implementing mandatory household waste classification recycling and
building thermal waste treatment facilities that turn waste into energy. Results obtained were
that solid waste disposal rate decreased from 10.5 million tons in 2000 to 5.07 million tons in
2009. However, in Zambia, waste separation only occurred at about 20% as most of the sorting

for reuse and recycling ♻ was done at the Chunga Dumpsite

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Figure 5. Proximity of households to the Chunga Dumpsite (approx. 25 m radius).

(Taken by the authors)

. Treatment of unsorted waste was very difficult to conduct, greatly reducing its effects. In
addition, poor utilization of the dumpsite also resulted from lack of machinery and insufficient
funds to run the landfill to its maximum potential. Burying and burning of waste was not also
conducted. The Ministry of the Environment emphasized developing a new system that
included consumers and manufacturers for minimizing the total amount of waste by promoting
recycling. People argues that most recycling in Lusaka is done after disposal, mainly by waste

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collectors in unplanned settlements and waste pickers at the landfill who collected from
unsorted waste. Dumpsites were found to lack security measures. The site was not properly
fortified and protected from unauthorized persons. The wall fence surrounding the dumpsite
lay in ruins with very few Council police to control entrance into the facility. Illegal scavengers,
who usually invaded the site looking for what to pick, reuse or sell to companies and/or
communities were often seen at the site. With challenges by the Council to control the facility
and regulate those who entered, it continued to be vandalized and had become a good
breeding ground for diseases and infections that spread from the dumpsite to surrounding
communities (Figure 5). Figure 5 shows proximity of households to the Chunga Dumpsite.
Despite control measures through registration of persons accessing the area, it seemed there
was very little adherence from the community members as some would use other means of
entering the dumpsite eg, jumping over the wall fence. One could still argue however, that even
the registration procedure was not effective when one compared the number of people who
were registered to access the place and the number of people seen in the facility. Despite all
these challenges, it was solely the duty of the Council to treat waste. It is important to note that
the Council had taken up the role to encourage and educate the public in environmental and
sustainable SWM through burying organic or degradable waste. Making of organic compost was
mostly done at household level, though at low rates.
3.4. Solid Waste Management and Challenges Faced
There were various challenges that the Council encountered as it endeavored to sustainably
treat waste at the dumpsite. Firstly, the inability for some members of the public to pay for
waste management services forcing the Council and enterprises to operate on minimal to no
funds for staff, machinery, maintenance and transportation. Illegal collection and dumping of
waste was a challenge too. There was a tendency by illegal waste collectors to collect waste
from people and dump it in areas that were not approved for waste disposal, creating financial
burden for the Council that was responsible for the city’s waste management, including
collection of poorly disposed waste. Being unregistered, it was difficult for the Council to make
claims over poorly disposed waste or recover funds collected by illegal collectors, further
hampering the Councils work. The monitoring of enterprises subcontracted to assist in SWM in
regards to the rate of Lusaka’s growth and expansion was also a challenge. Solid waste areas
are grouped into zones and districts referred to as catchments. It is through the smaller
segments called catchments that the Council monitors the collection, disposal and management
of waste. However, some areas, especially unplanned settlements, tend to be vast and over
populated making effective monitoring a huge problem for the Council. Lastly,there was a lack
of enough trucks for waste collection. The lack of transport also hindered the effectiveness of
the Council in conducting inspections of subcontracted enterprises. limited resources in terms
of money, skilled manpower and logistics make it very difficult to handle the bulk volume of
solid waste being generated, creating an enormous challenge for institutions charged with
SWM.

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3.5. Recommendations
Firstly, waste treatment would be a much easier process to undertake if there was waste
sorting and separation at the source, particularly the household. This can be achieved by the
introduction of plastic bags or containers clearly stating the kind of waste that should be in a
particular container. Secondly, the government, Council and all other stakeholders need to
ensure that the intended purpose of the dumpsite is fulfilled. New machinery and frequent
maintenance thereof is required. Also educating people on policies and enforcing laws
governing garbage disposal, especially those concerned with collection, transportation and
disposing of garbage should be coupled with stiffer punishments and charges. Thirdly,
Government should introduce a subject on SWM and its impacts on the environment in both
primary and secondary schools focused on the benefits of sustainable solid waste treatment
and waste sorting from source (homes, offices and schools). Lastly, the Council and its
stakeholders must attach the solid waste collection fee to other public fees such as water or
electricity. This would ensure that no one escapes paying waste management fees and reduce
on waste collection from illegal collectors.

Conclusion
From the findings of the study, treatment of solid waste was done at a very minimal rate.
Observations from Chunga Dumpsite revealed that landfill machinery was non-operational,
facilitating crude dumping rather than use of the landfill method. The dumpsite was originally
projected to last for about 25 years, but observation indicated it was almost up to capacity in its
13th year. The problems that affected an efficient waste management system in the kaunda
square had been highlighted on three main issues: the lack of ways to increase more
sustainable waste treatment methods in place due to no waste separation at source,
insufficient funds and lack of equipment to undertake the landfill method on site. The shortage
of equipment has been to a larger extent due to lack of vehicle standardization. Inappropriate
refuse collection vehicles and the poor revenue collection system by the LCC have also
contributed to the deterioration of services in the entire management of the city’s refuse. The
government and the Council indicated intention to repair or buy new machinery for landfill
purposes. Finally, lack of political will also contributed significantly to the worsening situation of
waste management in Kaunda square Less financial attention was given to the waste
management sector, and as a result, the dumpsite was no longer treating waste as expected.
This study went beyond these claims by having close observations, engaging contracted
companies and researching on how waste is actually handled. Also, this manuscript is going to
be among very few literatures available on SWM in Zambia.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME!

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