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1.1 Introduction
In Zimbabwe, urban areas continue to grow at a much faster rate than the provision and
expansion of necessary infrastructure and services. This has created waste management
problems as most local authorities have severe financial constraints, curtailing their ability to
provide effective waste disposal. All the towns, cities and growth points face the challenge of
littering, waste dumping and or improper waste disposal due to lack of integrated waste
management strategies. In the world today many people are realising that there is value in
what other people have discarded as waste. Examples from many developing countries show
that people are making a living from the collection of waste plastics, waste paper, cardboard
boxes to name but a few. A number of organisations are working with communitybased
organisation in Africa (eg Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya, Uganda etc) and Asia (Sri Lanka,
2007)
The world produces 4 billion tones of all types of waste per year, but only a quarter is
currently diverted from disposal. Even with high rates of valuable products in municipal solid
waste, such as cardboards, plastics, glass, and metals (up to 50% in the developing countries).
The recycling and waste claims have been hardly profitable, considering the low prices of
recycling materials on the global market. (T.Kelly et al, 2011). Recycling means taking a
product or material at the end of its useful life and turning it into a usable raw material to
make another product. Waste recycling is the process of reclaiming material that would
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waste management is to consider waste material as a resource to be exploited, instead of
simply a nuisance to be managed and deposited off. The material maybe extracted and
recycled, or converted to another product. The process of extracting resources or value from
waste is variously referred to as secondary resource recovery, recycling and other terms.
There is growing acknowledgement that disposing waste is unsustainable in the long term as
there is finite supply of most raw materials (ILO/SIRDC, 2007). Waste reuse is a form of
recycling, which refers to using something again without any transformation processes,
which would otherwise have been thrown away. A good example for waste that is re-used is
waste paper. Waste paper can be newspapers, magazines and books, cardboard and mixed
papers etc. Waste paper is re-used as toilet paper, tobacco paper, wrapping paper for
Thormark (2001) defined recycling potential as the environmental impact from production of
that material whereby the recycled material will be a susbstitute for less the environmental
impact from the recycling processes and connected transport. The recycling potential can
therefore shortly be described as a way to express how much of the embodied energy and
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Table 1.1: General composition of waste collected by some Local authorities in
Urban Paper & Glass & Metals Plastics Leather Textiles Vegetab Misc
area cardboard Ceramics & les /
Rubber Putresci
bles
Harare 25 5 7 10 15 8 25 20
Bulawayo 20 5 10 10 3 2 10 40
Gweru 20 8 7 10 5 8 25 18
Chegutu 25 15 15 15 6 6 10 8
Shurugwi 20 10 10 15 6 6 15 18
Kadoma 22 7 9 10 8 12 25 20
Norton 15 8 17 18 4 - 26 12
Marondera 20 15 15 - 15 7 25 20
Victoria 34 6 5 15 2 4 26 8
Falls
According to a report by the European Environment Agency (2009) that waste policies must
be seen in the broader life-cycle respective of resource use, consumption and production,
prevention, and recycling of waste are important elements in the life cycle. There are
different routes to divert waste from landfill, including prevention and recycling other thin
material and energy recovery and pretreatment. The challenge of management has been a
growing concern for the national governments, local authorities, and environmentalists,
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Although many government programs are concentrated on recycling at home, a large portion
of waste is generated by industry. The focus of many recycling programs done by industry is
cardboard a commonly recycled waste product by companies that deal heavily in packaged
goods, like retail stores, warehouses, and distributors of goods. Other industries deal in niche
or specialized products, depending on the nature of the waste materials that are present. The
glass, lumber, wood pulp and paper manufacturers all deal directly in commonly recycled
materials. However, old rubber tires may be collected and recycled by independent tire
Informal waste harvesting currently practiced in Zimbabwe includes activities such as:
The unsanctioned retrieval of recyclables and other items of personal value from
industrial skill and repair and remanufacturing and prolongs the lifespan of disposal sites;
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1.2 Problem Statement
There has been a continuous increase in the amount of waste generated in the growing
commercial and industrial sector in the City of Gweru, yet there has not been the requisite
collection and disposal services and this has resulted in increased illegal dumping of waste
resulting in environmental damage, while the majority of the waste that finally finds itself in
the environment may hold some potential of being reused and or recycling if harnessed
properly. Mubaiwa (2008), pointed out that with high rates of valuable products in municipal
solid waste, such as cardboards, plastics, glass, and metals waste still finds itself in landfills
and dumped in undesignated places such as isles in the central business district, while the
idea of landfilling is accepted by the local authorities, it takes large amounts of space as well
as poses potential threats to the environment and human health through leaching and gaseous
emissions.
To assess the Re-use and the Recycling potential of the municipal solid waste in the city of
Gweru.
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1.5 Research Questions
What are the main sources of waste generation in the Gweru city?
What are the materials and quantities that could be reused and recycled?
What are the behaviors, knowledge and attitudes of the business community in
The study may assist key authorities such as the Gweru City Council in the management of
solid waste, as they are the responsible authorities in waste management, as well as being the
policy makers in the implementation new waste management strategies, as well as serve as a
baseline for future studies as there is a is need to explore the reuse and the recycling potential
in order to determine the quantities and qualities of waste that is generated in the city so as to
harness it. Furthermore, there is need to explore the reuse and the recycling potential in order
to determine the quantities and qualities of waste that is generated in the city so as to harness
it. Findings of the study will necessitate SWM planning through informed decision making
and hence may bring an understanding on the nature of recycling done hence facilitating the
1.7 Assumptions
There are waste materials that could be reused and or recycled in the city.
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There are no seasonal variations which might result in the possible seasonal changes
in the waste streams, as it will be very costly and time consuming to collect data
The research was will only cover the Gweru urban area, that consisting of the Central
Business District (CBD), The Light Industries and the Heavy industries. The research is
confined to the recycling and reuse of potential of the waste generated by the commercial and
light industrial waste, and other waste materials such as radioactive waste will not be
The study is most likely to be liable to sampling bias due to the possibility of language
barrier, personal view of the respondents representing the various organizations. Furthermore,
the selected places for data collection might not be representative of the general overview of
solid waste recycling potential in the city of Gweru due to the type of the sampling technique
representation of the data generated as well. Secondly, the un-cooperative action of the
individual respondents during the field survey confronted the researcher as a major limitation,
as the information on questionnaires is a very relevant part of the study; hence the researcher
had to be very persuasive as well as being time conscious and be very brief.
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CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction
Solid waste generated in urban areas continues to present many challenges to municipalities
process that encompasses the entire life-cycle of materials that have the potential for some
kind of costly disposal. The amount, characteristics, and destination of potential solid waste
can be affected at every point in the life-cycle of materials; from the production of products,
through wholesale and retail marketing, consumer purchase, use, and ultimate disposal,
Reuse of goods can entail reuse of the same good by another entity (perhaps after
refurbishment) (Yoder, 2011). Recycling involves the collection of used and discarded
materials processing these materials and making them into new products. It reduces the
amount of waste that is thrown into the community dustbins thereby making the environment
cleaner and the air fresher to breathe. Reuse is using a product or item in its original form
more than once (e.g., reusing a mug instead of using a disposable cup) (UNEP, 2000)
The world produces 4 billion tons of waste per year, but only a quarter is currently diverted
from disposal. Even with high prevalence of valuable products in municipal solid waste, such
as cardboards, plastics, glass, and metals (up to 50% in developed countries). The recycling
and waste claims have been hardly profitable, considering the low prices of recycling
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Surveys carried out by the United States Government and other non-government agencies in
the country have all recognized the importance of recycling wastes. However, the guidelines
for safe recycling of waste have not been standardized. Studies have revealed that 7 %-15%
of the waste is recycled in the United States of America. If recycling is done in a proper
manner, it will solve the problems of waste or garbage. At the community level, a large
number of NGOs (Non Governmental Organizations) and private sector enterprises have
taken the initiative of segregation and recycling of waste. EXNORA International in Chennai
recycles a large part of the waste that is collected. It is being used for composting; making
pellets to be used in gasifies, etc. Plastics are sold to the factories that reuse them (UNEP,
2000)
An increasing number of persons and organizations long for a future when waste will cease to
exist because it would not be produced or it would be a re-used resource. However, a lot of
awareness work need to be done to change negative attitudes that many people have towards
recycled products. This largely explains why generally there is low demand for recycled
products in Zimbabwe and the rest of SADC countries despite that most of them are cheaper
Zero waste tolerance implies encouraging people to produce without waste or with as little
waste as is possible. It means that in the production and delivery of goods and services, non-
renewable resources have to be preserved, and the waste and pollution must be avoided or
kept at minimum level. Waste management promotes sustainability in those activities, such as
resources recovery, recycling/ reuse and composting reduces the raw material demand during
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management practices such as recycling promotes sustainable consumption i.e. the use of
goods and services that respond to basic needs and bring a better quality of life, while
minimizing the use of natural resources, and production of toxic materials and emissions of
waste and pollutants over the life cycle so as not to jeopardize the needs of future generations
(ILO, 2007).
It is logical to assume that individuals with concern for the environment will practice pro-
environmental behaviours, like recycling, composting, and source reduction. Research has
shown that the environmental attitudes of the public have been increasing and expanding to
include a variety of demographic groups in developed countries, other than just the urban,
well-educated, and affluent groups (Mainieri et al., 1997). More specifically, in the United
States, Canada, and Great Britain, recycling programs have also expanded, making recycling
possible for more people and therefore lessening the effect of environmental concern (Schultz
et al., 1995).
2.3. Recycling
Solid Waste Recycling means taking a product or material at the end of its useful life and
turning it into a usable raw material to make another product. Waste recycling is the process
method of resource recoveryRecycling refers to the removal of items from the waste stream
to be used as raw materials in the manufacture of new products. Thus According to this
definition, recycling occurs in three phases: first the waste is sorted and recyclables collected,
the recyclables are used to create raw materials. These raw materials are then used in the
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The sorting of recyclables may be done at the source (i.e. within the household or office) for
recycling centers. The pre-sorting at the source requires public participation which may not
of selective collection by the government can be costly. It would require more frequent
the collection. Another option is to mix the recyclables with the general waste stream for
collection and then sorting and recovery of the recyclable materials can be performed by the
municipality at a suitable site. The sorting by the municipality has the advantage of
eliminating the dependence on the public and ensuring that the recycling does occur. The
disadvantage however, is that the value of the recyclable materials is reduced since being
mixed in and compacted with other garbage can have adverse effects on the quality of the
2.4 Re-using
Waste reuse is a form of recycling, which refers to using something again which would
otherwise have been thrown away. A good example for waste that is re-used is waste paper.
Waste paper can be newspapers, magazines and books, cardboard and mixed papers etc.
Waste paper is re-used as toilet paper, tobacco paper, wrapping paper for foodstuff and others
(ILO, 2007). Plastics are used in a number of applications on a daily basis. Yet some plastic
items end up in the waste stream after a single use only (single-life or cycle) or a short time
after purchase, e.g. food packaging. Re-using plastic is preferable to recycling as it uses less
energy and fewer resources. In recent years, multi-trip plastics have become a more popular
choice leading to PSW reduction in the MSW final stream. In the UK, recyclable and
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returnable plastic crates used in transport and other purposes, have quadrupled from 1992
(8.5 million tonnes) to 2002 (35.8 million tonnes) (JCR, 2006). Re-using plastics has a
production uses 48% of global oil production, i.e. 4% as feedstock and 4% during
conversion (Perdon, 2004); (ii) reduction of energy and MSW, and (iii) reduction of carbon-
In addition, the other example of re-use that was already given in earlier sessions is the re-use
of glass bottles. Glass bottles are often not thrown away or picked from the waste to be sold
to marketers for re-use in the bottling of cooking oil, beer, soft drinks, honey, etc. At
household level both glass and plastic bottles and other containers are widely re-used in the
kitchen to store drinking water, salt, sugar, pepper, etc. Things that can be re-used are called
There are several Community Based Organizations (CBOs) involved in waste collection and
selling the collected waste to companies that recycle in Harare. Some NGOs are also
supporting these initiatives through training and financing demonstration projects. The
Awareness & Wenhamo Cooperative are carrying out waste collection. Just Joy &
Waste Collectors and Epworth Coalition for Sustainable Development (ECOSAD) are
involved in waste collection activities. These groups are offering waste collection services to
over 1000 households. The groups separate recyclable waste from organic waste and other
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non recyclable wastes such as empty scuds and soft drinks bottles, and papers and cardboard
to companies like Delta Co-operation and National Waste Collectors respectively (ILO,
2007). This is to give you an impression of the potential of recycling. However, proper
market surveys are required to establish the marketing strategies, penetration process and
Furthermore, according to the International Labour Organisation (2007), the current practice
of recovering and recycling of solid waste in Zimbabwe is still a small business because:
The activities are a major source of income and livelihood to just less than 1% of the
Less than 10% of waste paper, plastics and scrap metals are recycled nation wide
Recycling is confined to plastic, scrap metal, paper, cardboard and glass bottles
(mostly soft drinks deposit refund systems) because of substantial demand and
There is some debate over whether recycling is economically efficient. It is said that dumping
10,000 tons of waste in a landfill creates six jobs, while recycling 10,000 tons of waste can
create over 36 jobs. However, the cost effectiveness of creating the additional jobs remains
unproven. According to the U.S. Recycling Economic Informational Study, there are over
50,000 recycling establishments that have created over a million jobs in the US (Annon,
2013).
Two years after New York City declared that implementing recycling programs would be "a
drain on the city," New York City leaders realized that an efficient recycling system could
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save the city over $20 million (Annon, 2013). Municipalities often see fiscal benefits from
implementing recycling programs, largely due to the reduced landfill costs ( Lavee, 2007). A
study conducted by the Technical University of Denmark according to the Economist found
that in 83 percent of cases, recycling is the most efficient method to dispose of household
waste (Annon, 2007). However, a 2004 assessment by the Danish Environmental Assessment
Institute concluded that incineration was the most effective method for disposing of drink
Fiscal efficiency is separate from economic efficiency. Economic analysis of recycling do not
include what economists call externalities, which are un-priced costs and benefits that accrue
to individuals outside of private transactions. Examples include: decreased air pollution and
greenhouse gases from incineration, reduced hazardous waste leaching from landfills,
reduced energy consumption, and reduced waste and resource consumption, which leads to a
reduction in environmentally damaging mining and timber activity. About 4,000 minerals are
known, of these only a few hundred minerals in the world are relatively common. At current
rates, current known reserves of phosphorus will be depleted in the next 50 to 100 years;
hence recycling will lengthen the duration of phosphorous deposits (Annon, 2010).
ignore them despite the costs imposed on society. To make such no fiscal benefits
economically relevant, advocates have pushed for legislative action to increase the demand
for recycled materials. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has
concluded in favor of recycling, saying that recycling efforts reduced the country's carbon
emissions by a net 49 million metric tonnes in 2005. In the United Kingdom, the Waste and
Resources Action Programme stated that Great Britain's recycling efforts reduce CO2
emissions by 1015 million tonnes a year. Recycling is more efficient in densely populated
areas, as there are economies of scale involved (The League of Women Voters, 1993).
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Certain requirements must be met for recycling to be economically feasible and
those recyclates from the waste stream, a nearby factory capable of reprocessing the
recyclates, and a potential demand for the recycled products. These last two requirements are
often overlookedwithout both an industrial market for production using the collected
materials and a consumer market for the manufactured goods, recycling is incomplete and in
dilemma.
Incentive for recycling and reuse: Policy instruments that decrease the relative cost of
recycling and reuse or mandate recycling requirements will tend to direct waste toward
recycling and reuse and away from landfill or other dumping. The cost of recycling to
disposers includes both the monetary price paid for recycling services and a potential time
cost, such as the time cost incurred in sorting household recyclables. Increases in recycling
opportunities can lower the time cost. Costs to recycling firms themselves are similar in that
if the variable costs of recycling are reduced, recycling services can be feasibly provided at
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2.7 Waste Characterization
Municipal solid wastes (MSW) is often described as the waste that is produced from
residential and industrial (non-process wastes), commercial and institutional sources with the
exception of hazardous and universal wastes, construction and demolition wastes, and liquid
generated
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governmental centres
manufacturing, refineries,
plants, demolition
Construction and Demolition New construction sites, road Wood, steel, concrete,
plants, demolition
feedlots, farms
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2.7.1 Various Types of Wastes and their Various Recycling Potentials
Republic of China.
in Asia, favoring
development and
internationalization of this
limiting factors.
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waste, etc.
Recyclable materials include many kinds of glass, paper, metal, plastic, textiles, and
electronics. Although similar in effect, the composting or other reuse of biodegradable waste
such as food or garden waste is not typically considered recycling. Materials to be recycled
are either brought to a collection center or picked up from the curbside, then sorted, cleaned,
and reprocessed into new materials bound for manufacturing (The League of Women Voters,
1993).
In the strictest sense, recycling of a material would produce a fresh supply of the same
material for example; used office paper would be converted into new office paper, or used
foamed polystyrene into new polystyrene. However, this is often difficult or too expensive
(compared with producing the same product from raw materials or other sources), so
"recycling" of many products or materials involve their reuse in producing different materials
Al-Salem and company,2009 further asserts that another form of recycling is the salvage of
certain materials from complex products, either due to their intrinsic value (for example, lead
from car batteries, or gold from computer components), or due to their hazardous nature (for
example, removal and reuse of mercury from various items). However critics dispute the net
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economic and environmental benefits of recycling over its costs, and suggest that proponents
of recycling often make matters worse and suffer from confirmation bias.
Specifically, critics argue that the costs and energy used in collection and transportation
detract from (and outweigh) the costs and energy saved in the production process; also that
the jobs produced by the recycling industry can be a poor trade for the jobs lost in logging,
mining, and other industries associated with virgin production; and that materials such as
paper pulp can only be recycled a few times before material degradation prevents further
recycling. Proponents of recycling dispute each of these claims, and the validity of arguments
from both sides has led to enduring controversy (Al-Salem et al, 2009).
A number of sorting techniques have been developed in order to separate and sort Plastic
Solid Waste. In the recycling industry, sorting and identification must be attempted within a
short time to positively affect a recyclers finances. Both fast and accurate identification of
the primary plastic contained in a particular item, followed by some type of manual or
automated sorting are essential. In the case of plastic bottle sorting, automated techniques do
exist but are not always applicable due mainly to a difference in shape and size, or the
existence of paint and coating which delays the analysis technique, etc. (MOEA, 2001 and
EPIC, 2003).
Another way of sorting (common in Asian recycling lines) is density sorting. Density sorting
methods are not particularly helpful, because most plastics are very close in density. In the
case of rigid PSW resulting from electronic parts, a heavy medium separation is usually
applied (Kang et al, 2005). This can be done by adding a modifier to water or by using
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tetrabromoethane (TBE). However, this is a costly process and can lead to contamination of
Hydrocyclones, which use centrifugal force, enhance material wettability. Some of the factors
affecting liquid separation of a given material are its wettability, its variation in density (from
porosity, fillers, pigments, etc.), shape factors of size-reduced particles, and its level of
liberation from other materials. Even surface air bubbles, which can attach to plastics as the
result of poor wetting or surface contamination, can cause an individual flake of material to
float in a solution less dense than that of bulk material (APC, 1999).
A practical way of PSW sorting is by triboelectric separation, which can distinguish between
two resins by simply rubbing them against each other. A triboelectric separator sorts
materials on the basis of a surface charge transfer phenomenon. When materials are rubbed
against each other, one material becomes positively charged, and the other becomes
negatively charged or remains neutral. Particles are mixed and contact one another in a
were the highest in both purity and recovery in the triboelectric process (Xiao et al., 1999).
PSW can also be sorted by a speed accelerator technique, developed by Result Technology
waste, and the delaminated material is separated by air classification, sieves, and
electrostatics (Kang et al, 2005). Using X-ray fluorescent (XRF) spectroscopy, different types
of flame-retardants (FRs) can be identified. On this basis, MBA Polymers, Inc. has developed
a technology that can separate pure resin with FRs (APC, 2003). The same company has also
announced a joint venture with European Metal Recycling Limited (EMR), to establish a
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No matter how efficient the recycling scheme is, sorting is the most important step in the
recycling loop. One of the main issues that recyclers face is the removal of the paint on
Grinding could be used to remove coatings, e.g. chrome from plated plastics can be removed
by simple grinding, sometimes assisted with cryogenic methods to enhance the liberation
process and to prevent the plating materials from being embedded in the plastic granules.
These cryogenic methods provide good liberation, but the actual separation of plastic
particles from the paint is problematic (Biddle, 1999). Another way of paint and coating
removal is abrasion, best applied on whole parts of significant size. Solvent stripping is also
used by recyclers, which involves the dipping of the coated plastic into a solvent, liberating
coatings from the plastic. This method is applicable for compact disc coating removal
(Biddle, 1999).
The high temperature aqueous-based paint removal method relies on the hydrolysis of many
coatings in hot water, thus liberating the coating from the plastic. Olefin based plastics can be
handled with this technique due to the fact that this type of plastics cannot be degraded under
these conditions (Plastic Technology, 1994). Nevertheless, none of these techniques are
completely satisfactory and they require that processing conditions be carefully controlled.
single-polymer plastic edges and parts to the extrusion cycle in order to produce products of
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the similar material. This process utilizes scrap plastics that have similar features to the
original products (Al-Salem, 2009a). Primary recycling is only feasible with semi-clean
scrap, therefore making it an unpopular choice with recyclers. A valid example of primary
recycling is the injection molding of out of specification LDPE crates (Barlow, 2008). Crates
that do not meet the specifications are palletized and reintroduced into the recycling loop or
Currently, most of the Plastic Solid Waste (PSW) being recycled is of process scrap from
industry recycled via primary recycling techniques. In the UK, process scrap represents
250,000 tonnes of the plastic waste and approximately 95% of it is primary recycled (Parfitt,
2002). Primary recycling can also involve the re-extrusion of post-consumer plastics.
Generally, households are the main source of such waste stream. However, recycling
household waste represents a number of challenges, namely the need of selective and
segregated collection. Kerbside systems are required to collect relatively small quantities of
mixed PSW from a large number of sources. This poses a resource drain and involves
significant operating costs in many countries, especially considering the current market
situation. Taking into account current market prices for virgin resins, a 0.45$ is the return on
Mechanical recycling, also known as secondary recycling, is the process of recovering plastic
solid waste (PSW) for the re-use in manufacturing plastic products via mechanical means
(Mastellone, 1999). It was promoted and commercialized all over the world back in the
1970s. Mechanical recycling of PSW can only be performed on single-polymer plastic, The
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more complex and contaminated the waste, the more difficult it is to recycle it mechanically
(Mastellone, 1999)
Separation, washing and preparation of PSW are all essential to produce high quality, clear,
clean and homogenous end-products. One of the main issues that face mechanical recyclers is
the degradation and heterogeneity of PSW. Since chemical reactions that constitute polymer
formation (i.e. polymer addition, polymerization and poly condensation) are all reversible in
theory, energy or heat supply can cause photo-oxidation and/or mechanical stresses which
occur as a consequence. Length or branching of polymer chains can also occur from the
formation of oxidised compounds and/or harsh natural weathering conditions (Basfar et al,
Due to the previously stated reasons, it is very important to have a customer ready to
Nevertheless, mechanical recycling opens an economic and viable route for PSW recovery,
especially for the case of foams and rigid plastics (Zia et al., 2007).
A number of products found in our daily lives come from mechanical recycling processes,
such as grocery bags, pipes, gutters, window and door profiles, shutters and blinds, etc. The
quality is the main issue when dealing with mechanically recycled products. The industrial
suited for the use as a raw material for mechanical recycling due to the clear separation of
different types of resins, the low level of dirt and impurities present, and their availability in
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2.8.3 Plants and Technologies applied in Mechanical Recycling
Recycling PSW via mechanical means involves a number of treatments and preparation steps
to be considered. Being a costly and an energy intense process, mechanical recyclers try to
reduce these steps and working hours as much as possible. Generally, the first step in
mechanical recycling involves size reduction of the plastic to a more suitable form (pellets,
powder or flakes). This is usually achieved by milling, grinding or shredding (Zia et al.,
2007).
The most general scheme was described by Aznar et al. (2006) and is illustrated in Fig. 2
below, The steps involved are usually the following (Aznar et al., 2006).
Cutting/shredding: Large plastic parts are cut by shear or saw for further processing
Contaminant separation: Paper, dust and other forms of impurities are separated
Floating: Different types of plastic flakes are separated in a floating tank according to
their density.
Milling: Separate, single-polymer plastics are milled together. This step is usually
Washing and drying: This step refers to the pre-washing stage (beginning of the
washing line). The actual plastic washing process occurs afterwards if further
treatment is required. Both washing stages are executed with water. Chemical
washing is also employed in certain cases (mainly for glue removal from plastic),
Agglutination: The product is gathered and collected either to be stored and sold later
on after the addition of pigments and additives, or sent for further processing.
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Extrusion: The plastic is extruded to strands and then pelletized to produce a single-
polymer plastic.
final product.
Other single-polymer PSW go through different schemes. Many foams (namely polyurethane,
PU) are powdered and grinded to a particle size less than 0.2 mm using two-roll milling,
cryogenic grinders or precision knife cutters (Aznar et al, 2006). Another process used in
mechanical recycling is re-bonding, in which recycled foam flakes originating from flexible
slab stock foam production waste are usually blown from storage silos into a mixer that
consists of a fixed drum with rotating blades or agitators, where the foam flakes are sprayed
with an adhesive mixture (Zia et al., 2007). Fig. below shows a schematic illustration of the
re-bonding process. One of the main advantages of this process is the ability to obtain a clean
product with new properties that is higher density and lower hardness.
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Figure.2.2. Schematic of flexible foam re-bonding
In the case of PU, 10% binder is added to the 90% scrap. Waste is shredded and mixed with
binder (dyes can also be added) and the mixture is then compressed. PU recyclate granules
are used as filler in polyester moulding compounds and give added toughness to the material.
This process yields a variety of products such as carpet underlay and athletic mats from
recovered pieces of flexible foams. The re-bond process incorporates both a surprising
amount of flexibility and a wide variability in the mechanical properties of the final product.
PVC represents an interesting case too, in terms of mechanical recycling (Al-Salem et al,
2009).
Due to its structure and composition, PVC can easily be mechanically recycled in order to
obtain good quality recycling material. Careful and proper sorting is of crucial importance for
the optimal recycling of PVC. After an initial visual check, the collected PVC materials are
shredded into pieces of 1015 cm. The metals and non-ferrous metals are mechanically
eliminated afterwards (Recovinyl, 2008). The company classifies the post-consumer plastics
27
into rigid and flexible material. Rigid PVC recycled material is mainly used as an inner
reinforcement layer in pipes and profiles production, garden furniture or rigid films
manufacture. Flexible PVC waste is recycled into powder and is used as filler in the
production of floor coverings of various kinds. Other applications are traffic cones, fences,
flexible hoses and tubes, footwear, bags, clothing, etc. (Recovinyl, 2008).
A valid example of utilizing PSW is the recycling of PET. About three-quarter of reclaimed
PET in the UK and USA is used to manufacture fibres for carpets, apparel and bottles. Two
approaches have been widely promoted, mechanical recycling and methanolysis (chemical
recycling). Once the PET has been collected and sorted, it represents a feedstock for
reclamation processing lines. Reclamation involves washing the materials (mainly bottles)
and conditioning the plastics to be processed as semi-virgin resin or master batch. In doing
so, a clear grade of PET can be produced of high quality to compete with the virgin polymer.
In Tokyo (Japan), a council for PET bottle recycling has been established since 1993 to
promote mechanical recycling of PET bottles in the municipalities of Tokyo (Council PET,
2005). PET bottles obtained by household sorting are collected, compressed and packed by
recycling plant, the waste is selected to remove impurities and the remaining PET bottles are
then shredded, cleaned, foreign bodies and non-resins separated, and the remainder turned
into flakes and pellets (granules made of flakes thermally processed by granulator) for
recycling. The recycled materials are then sent to textile and sheet-making plants, where they
are again molten to produce textile and sheet products by resin moulding techniques well
established for PET and other plastics conversion (Council PET, 2005).
28
2.9. Signage and Labelling
Signage is a critical component to waste management systems. Signage helps inform the
public about what materials are acceptable for recycling and which are not and it can also
encourage participation in recycling programs (UC Davis, 2008). In Nova Scotia, educational
efforts are carried out at the provincial level by the Resource Recovery Fund Board (RRFB),
and at the municipal level. The RRFB has created a signage system (Figure 4 below) that
relies on both colours and shapes to educate the public on sorting waste into proper waste
Figure 2.3: The colour coding, signage, and bin opening types.
It is also possible for municipalities to create their own by-laws regarding signage (see figure
sufficient size and number is required to provide occupants (customers or employees) with
clear instructions for proper sorting of waste into its proper waste streams (HRM, 2010).
Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), 2010 asserts that certain signs with less text
29
description may be better suited for more public spaces/higher traffic areas where people are
less likely to read text and will make a source separation decision quickly while other signs
(HRM) may be better suited for public areas that are contained and where staff have time to
30
CHAPTER THREE
Gweru is a city near the centre of Zimbabwe at 19o251S 29O501E, Gweru is the capital of the
established as a military outpost, the modern town was founded in 1894 by Dr Leander Starr
Jameson. It is situated along the road and railway between Harare and Bulawayo and near the
rail spur to Maputo, Mozambique, Gweru has become a busy trade centre with some
centre with all the modern amenities that one could expect (Mubaiwa, 2008).
Gweru is one of Zimbabwes main import and export centre as well as being the most
accessible industrial centre to overseas markets through South Africa to the South and
Mozambique to the east. Its products include ferrochromium, textiles, dairy foods, foot ware
and building materials and the surroundings have rich mineral deposits (Mubaiwa, 2008).
The research strategy that is used of descriptive survey research design, in principle are
verifiable, the ethical, practical, and often the only way of gathering most information on
behaviour, attitudes, beliefs, and opinions most efficiently is through asking individuals
31
through survey research. The research was mostly qualitative in mature although a
quantitative analysis approach was employed in the analysis of recyclable waste quantities.
Survey research strategy was used because it provides a wide and inclusive coverage of
people or events so that the results are likely to be representative of the population, and it is
ideal for generalising conclusion. Furthermore survey design was used so as to produce the
group. It was ideal to sample for data collection in this project so as to get a representative
sample since using the whole population in the study was not feasible, due to various factors
The sample frame used was based on the registered business entities obtained from the
Gweru City Council (Health Services Department) and consists of the servicing,
manufacturing, and processing organisations in and around the with a total population of
1418. According to the data obtained from Gweru city Council, Health Services Department,
the researcher used 6% of the registered organisations in the city so as to have a manageable
sample size. The study used the non-probabilistic sampling technique of convenience
sampling, whereby the sample was selected on the basis of the availability of elements
participate.
The non-probabilistic sampling technique of convenient sampling was necessary, since each
respondent might have given information unique to the organisation being represented.
32
Table 3.1 Sampling criteria.
Authorities
Premises
Premises
Sample 15 15 15 15 15 15
size
Primary data were collected for this research. The method employed for the data collection is
both quantitative and qualitative. The quantitative is mainly concerned with the collection
and analysis of numerical data and statistics while qualitative is much more focused on
questionnaires.
3.4.1 Questionnaires
order and respondents are asked to answer the question which provides the researcher with
data that can be analysed. Using a sample size of n=90, self-administered questionnaires with
open and closed ended questions were distributed to the various organisations under study,
where the respondents filled in the questionnaire in the presence of the researcher.
Questionnaires have the advantage that they can generate a lot of information in a cost-
effective way. There are no special skills required on the part of the researcher when using a
33
questionnaire for data collection purposes. The disadvantages however are that there is no
way of proving the validity of the data provided by the respondents, hence there is a heavy
reliance on the truthfulness of the respondents, in some cases, not all questions in the
questionnaire will be answered by the respondents, due to failure to understand the needs of
the question.
within the respondents and in order to yield the best results. The questionnaire involved
questions on waste generation by the various organisation and how the waste is handled,
secondly attitudes, behaviours and perceptions were tested as ell as the willingness to
Two methods were employed for solid waste characterization, a combination of visual and
samples was found ideal for wastes that are nearly homogenous, here hand sorting was found
The qualitative data collected from various organisations was computed and processed to
obtain graphical representations. Microsoft Excel was used for statistical analysis.
Presentations were aided by pie charts and different types of graphs. Pie Charts, Graphs and
Tables were also used to display the results, so as to help the researcher to understand and
interpret what could be deduced from them. With such data the researcher was able to get an
34
insight of how waste is being handled as well as to identify the potential of recycling waste
material that exist as well as identify the waste materials that could be recycled.
Quantitative data was obtained for materials that were currently being reused and recycled as
well as quantifying materials that could be potentially recycled. The procedure was based on
the UNEP, (2009) method adapted from Developing Integrated Solid Waste Management
Plan, Training Manual Volume 1. This information helped the researcher to analyse the
reuse and the recycling potential by assessing the feasibility of the solid waste management
strategy, as well as assess behaviours and perceptions on solid waste reuse and recycling.
Waste quantification was done at the point of generation; quantity of waste was measured in
terms of volume.
Procedure
Extrapolate the volume of waste disposed using each waste container being used at
each generator
Add together the extrapolated volume of waste disposed in all containers that handle
35
Calculate the density of the waste at the generator location, based on data from the
waste sample
Volume sample.
The study is most likely to be liable to sampling bias due to the possibility of language
barrier, personal view of the respondents representing the various organisations. Furthermore,
the selected places for data collection might not be representative of the general overview of
solid waste recycling potential in the city of Gweru due to the type of the sampling technique
36
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS
The study had a 100% response rate due to the study criteria chosen of self-administered
questionnaires. The respondents were given the opportunity to respond to the questions while
being monitored hence there was no loss of questionnaires. All the ninety questionnaires
given out were respondent to, from the ninety organisations represented. The respondents
were representatives of the different organisation. It is assumed that the responses given by
the respondents are a true reflection of the organisations views towards solid waste recycling
and reuse. The respondents were both males and females in the managerial and production
positions.
In Table 4.1 a, 56.67% of the respondents, which was also the representative of the various
organisations, were males and 43.33% of the respondents were females. The majority of
respondents were 82.22% of the respondents had done some form of tertiary education, while
37
Table 4.1 Demographic characteristics of respondents
Education Education
Survey Respondents 51 39 74 16
From the sample of respondents, 23.33% (21) of the organisations are manufacturing
companies, 27.77% (25) of the organisations are service providers, and 48.88% (44) are
organisations; however, priority was on given to the major activity as per the objectives of the
organisations.
38
4.3.1WasteStreams
40
35
Percentage (%)
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Types of SW materials
The study found out that from the entire N=90 Respondents, the major waste materials
Organisation
Paper/Cardboard 3 23 10
Leather/Rubber 2 0 1
Plastics 8 3 5
Glass/Bottles 4 1 0
39
Metals 1 0 2
Food Waste 3 15 7
E-Waste 0 2 0
From figure 4.3, Paper/Cardboard is generated in all the types of organisations represented. In
the manufacturing organisation, it has 8.3% representation, while it also has 63.88%
presentation in the Service providers and 27.77% representation in the Processing companies.
This implies that Paper/Cardboard box is evenly distributed in all the types of organisations
studied. Leather/Rubber waste is generated in three of the organisation studied, two (66.67%)
of them being the manufacturing industries, and one (33.33%) being the Processing
the City of Gweru, hence only a few organisations were found to be generating this type of
waste. Furthermore, Plastics waste was found in all the three types of organisations, that is
50% plastics waste generation in the Manufacturing, 18.8% plastics waste generation in the
40
service providers, and 31.2% plastics waste generation in the processing industries. This is an
even distribution indicating that plastic waste is commonly generated in the City of Gweru.
Glass/Bottles are represented only in 5 organisations from the entire study population, which
is 80% in the manufacturing industries, and 20% representation in the service providers
companies. Scrap metals also had representation in three organisations overall, which is in
industries. This is an indication that in the city of Gweru, there are few industries that work
with metals resulting in the generation of waste scrap metal being generated.
Food waste materials are generated in the manufacturing organisations at 12%, in the service
provision at 60%, and 28% in the Processing industries. This implies that food waste,
composed of all organics including the rotten vegetables and fruits are generated in all the
three types of organisations. Finally, the E-waste is generated only in the service providers,
and from the entire study sample, only two organisations produce E-waste.
41
From the figure 4.5.1 above recycling of waste materials was found to be at 11.11%
percentage and non-recycling at 88.89%, of the 11.11% organisations that do solid waste
recycling, 50% recycling is done by the manufacturing companies and 10% recycling is done
by the service providers, and 40% recycling done by the processing companies.
Out of the 90 companies, the manufacturing companies have the highest recycling potential
followed by the processing companies and lastly the service providers, this is large due to
lack waste segregation capacity by the service providers and the processing organisations.
For waste recycling to be feasible, there is the need for solid waste sorting at source or at the
point of disposal. Sorting of solid waste is not being done by the local authority, hence the
low levels in recycling in the city. However for those that does waste recycling only the
42
4.4.1 Sorting and Recycling Activities
From the illustration in figure 4.5 above, there is 11.11% recycling and 8% sorting of solid
waste at source. Sorting of solid waste at source and at disposal point necessitates the
recycling of waste. Only the organisations that do have sorting techniques employed at their
organisations recycle waste. Exceptions are seen in two of the organisations which recycle
waste without the provision of sorting techniques. This could be due to the uniqueness of the
waste material which enables automatic segregation, such as glass bottles. Figure 4.5 also
indicates that while a 91.1% rate of non-recycling is recorded, there is also an 88.9% rate of
non-sorting; this shows a relation between sorting and recycling. A high rate of sorting is
most likely to bring about an increase the recycling rates in the City of Gweru.
43
4.4.2 Solid Waste Reuse Activities
From the illustration in figure 4.6, the city has a solid waste reuse levels of 21.11%, this
could be due to a high rate of reusable waste materials and the high increased public
education on solid waste management or the potential of business opportunities in the waste
sector. There was an increase in Service providers participation in reuse of solid waste, by
26.3%. Also in the manufacturing companies, there is 52.7% reusing, and 21% in the
processing companies.
Type of Solid Waste Material Percentage Recycled (%) Percentage Reused (%)
Paper/Cardboard 30 21.05
Leather/Rubber 10 15.79
44
Plastics 20 21.05
Glass/Bottles 20 21.05
Food Waste 10 0
Metals 10 10.53
E-Waste 0 10.53
From the figure 4.4.2 above, Paper/Cardboard has the high percentage of recycling, at 30%,
and followed by Plastics and Glass/Bottles at 20%, also followed by Leather/Rubber, Food
Waste, and Metals at 10%. This data indicates that Paper/Cardboard, Plastics, Glass/Bottles,
Leather/Rubber, Food Waste and Scrap Metals have the recycling potential in the City of
Gweru. Furthermore, the illustration in Table 4.3 indicates that Paper/Cardboard, Plastics,
and Glass/Bottles have a 21.05% reuse potential, followed by Scrap Metals and E-waste have
10.53 reuse potential. The recycled and reused materials were from the Manufacturing
companies, at 50% and 52.63% recycling potential respectively, this is the followed by the
45
Processing firms are 40% and 21.05% respectively, and lastly Service Provider rate at 10%
The issue of Solid Waste sorting might have contributed to this trend in solid waste reuse and
Waste quantification was done at the point of generation; quantity of waste was measured in
terms of volume. Estimations of recyclable waste were done only from those organisations
that do waste recycling by comparing the volume of waste receptacles and the frequency of
waste disposal. By extrapolating the volume of waste disposed using each waste container
46
Table 4.4 Estimates of Recyclable waste.
The quantities of the recyclable SW estimates in the City of Gweru indicate that
the Table 4.5 above, there is an estimate of Leather/Rubber waste at +/- 1680m3 in at least
twice/week, and approximately 425-1340m3 of Plastics per week. Furthermore, Glass/ Bottles
are being recycled at approximately +/- 1000m3 twice per week. Food Waste is being
recycled at approximately +/- 1310m3 on a daily bases, and Scrap Metal is being recycled at
Out of the 90 organisations that took part in the study 63.33% had positive perceptions and
attitudes about solid waste reuse and recycling, 21.11% were average in their perceptions
about reuse and recycling of solid waste materials. While 15.56% of the respondents had
47
15.56%
Negative
21.11% Average
Positive
63.33%
The study revealed that 76.67% of the respondents had very good knowledge about solid
waste reuse and recycling, 20% as have only good and 3.33% of the respondents as have poor
80
70
60
% respondents
50
40
30
20
10
0
Very Good Good Poor
Knowledge levels
48
CHAPTER FIVE
DISCUSSION
educational centre with all the modern amenities that one could expect, and from the
study, it is seen that the both the manufacturing companies and the processing companies
as well as the service providers generate significant amounts of solid waste. However
from the sample of respondents, 23.33% (21) of the organisations are manufacturing
companies, 27.77% (25) of the organisations are service providers, and 48.88% (44) are
processing companies. The majority of the waste generated in the city came from the
manufacturing companies, followed by the service providers, and lastly from the
processing companies.
Paper/Cardboard waste was generated in all the three organisational categories, Leather/
Rubber and scrap metal was found in the manufacturing as well as in the processing
companies, Plastics and food waste was generated in all the three categories, while
glass/bottles was generated in the manufacturing as well as the service providers. E-waste
waste was only generated in organisations that provide services. This trend could be due
to the activities that the manufacturing and the processing organisations are involved in,
such as packaging.
From the study, the city of Gweru generates a variety of solid waste materials, of which
the study found out that from the entire (n=90) respondents, the major waste materials
49
generated were Paper/Cardboard-40%, Food waste-27.77%, Plastics-17.77%,
materials which were not recorded in the study. Jenifer (2007) stated that knowing the
variety in the waste assists a person to know the equipment they require to transport their
waste and to determine the management programmes and plans needed. The variety in
has the highest composition at 40% since packaging, and the use of books and paper is
The UNEP (2005b) suggests that rigorous, scientifically performed studies of waste
quantities are necessary to properly design, operate, and monitor solid waste management
systems. This is also true in designing, operating, and monitoring waste reduction
systems. Measuring the waste stream will identify waste components with the greatest
diversion potential and the quantity of material that will supply the materials-market.
Additionally, accurate and up-to-date waste characterization information will benefit the
effort by the government to reduce waste by incorporating the study findings into
educational campaigns and policy initiatives, such as recycling and reuse projects. For
recycling and reuse of solid waste materials to be considered in any nation, there should
be a waste inventory which will be used in order to assess the recycling and the reuse
potential.
The type of waste materials that are generated in the city of Gweru and their recycling
levels indicate a latent quality and ability that they can be developed into the future
success of the recycling projects and giving a useful method for solid waste management.
The study showed 11.11% recycling levels, and the city has a solid waste reuse rate of
50
21.11%. The study shows that Paper/Cardboard has the high percentage of recycling, at
Leather/Rubber, Food Waste, and Metals at 10%. This data indicates that
have the recycling potential in the City of Gweru. Paper/Cardboard, Plastics, and
Glass/Bottles have a 21.05% reuse rate, followed by Scrap Metals and E-waste have
10.53% reuse rate. The recycled and reused materials were from the Manufacturing
companies, at 50% and 52.63% recycling potential respectively, this is the followed by
the Processing firms are 40% and 21.05% respectively, and lastly Service Provider rate
The study showed that 8% sorting rate of solid waste was done. This indicates that given
the necessary solid waste receptacles the sorting of recyclables may be done at the source
for selective collection by the municipality or to be dropped off by the waste producer at a
recycling centres. The other alternative will be to mix the recyclables with the general
waste stream for collection and then sorting and recovery of the recyclable materials can
be performed by the municipality at a suitable site. The sorting of solid waste also enables
the recycling and reuse of a variety of waste materials. Kang and colleagues (2005)
pointed out that no matter how efficient the recycling scheme is; sorting is the most
important step in the recycling loop. The data from this study also illustrate that a lot of
recyclable waste materials could be directed from landfilling through recycling and reuse
activities. Reuse of waste delays the need for production of new materials and reduces the
51
5.4 Attitudes and Perceptions in SWM.
The handling of solid waste is subject to the cultural-cognitive state of the people
involving their beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act towards solid waste,
and the level to which they put an end to indiscriminate littering and dumping of solid
waste in their cities (Jennifer, 2007). Peoples attitudes have an effect upon the demand
for efficient solid waste collection services; that is taken to mean their willingness to pay
for collection services. Indications from the study are that 63.33% of the respondents had
positive attitudes towards solid waste reuse and recycling, while only 21.11% were
average, and 15.56% had negative perceptions on solid waste reuse and recycling.
Attitudes toward effective solid waste handling may be fine-tuned through education and
awareness campaigns on the consequences of poorly managed solid waste with regard to
reuse, recycling, public health and environmental conditions required to enlighten the
people about their responsibilities as waste generators and of their rights to manage the
waste generated. 75.6% of the study respondents believe that public education about
The study revealed that 76.67% of the respondents had very good knowledge about solid
waste reuse and recycling, 20% as have only good and 3.33% of the respondents as
having poor knowledge about solid waste reuse and recycling. Knowledge about solid
waste reuse and recycling can drive people and organisations to work towards attaining it,
52
All the organisations under study indicated willingness participate in separating their
waste materials into separate bags for collection purposes, given that a recycling program
was set up, that collected materials like plastic, paper, metals, e.tc, this willingness to
participate could either be motivated due to the usual procedures which most
organisations do, of gathering their waste materials before the final collection by the
municipality, hence no extra costs may be incurred in the process through hiring of labour
force. This is seen in the reduction in response rate when required to pay for pickup of the
Where there are incentives for separating, collection, and returning of waste materials to
the manufacturer, a 100% willingness to participate was recorded, for example given that
respondents were paid for every plastic bottle, or packaging material that they returned to
the supplier, most would participate in a program to return the plastic bottles or packaging
materials. This indicates that if given that incentives are always provided; solid waste
recycling can improve from the 11.11% which is currently recorded from the study to
Yoder et al, (2011) agues that collected recyclables may be marketed and sold as recycled
inputs to production. Though collected recyclables vary widely in their resale value based
on their type of material and the availability and price of substitute materials; the market
value of recyclables often depends in part on the market value of substitute goods. In the
case of aluminium, the virgin resource requires much more energy to access and convert
price relative to recycling costs. Materials that can physically be collected, transported
and processed more easily also typically fetch a greater resale value than materials that
53
Furthermore, the study results indicate a 57.8% positive response rate on willingness to
carry solid waste generated to a facility for recycling solid waste given that its located in
their community, this could either be due to greater dependability in municipal services in
solid waste management. However, the study revealed >90% willingness to participate in
building the recycling facility for the community, and the willingness to participate in the
maintenance of the facility, this trend could be due to anticipations of incentives in the
long term.
54
CHAPTER SIX
6.1 Conclusion
The study indicates that there is a recycling and reuse potential of municipal solid waste in
the city of Gweru, however, it is still in its infant stages and there is much potential still
untapped in the recycling industry, as there are only a few organisations which do reuse and
recycling of solid waste. To enhance the recycling programs in the city of Gweru, the local
authority will have to intervene through provision of adequate and necessary infrastructure
and incentives which will encourage recycling and reuse of solid waste hence diverting the
huge amounts of valuable materials which is normally taken to the landfill as waste. The
recycling of solid waste in the city of Gweru may also result in reduced environmental
degradation, and pollution, as the waste material which are normally non-biodegradable are
used for longer periods before final disposal, which can be done at lower rate due to the
recycling option.
Most organisations in the city of Gweru are well knowledgeable about the concept of solid
waste reuse and recycling, however, the lack of infrastructure and lack of budget allocations
in solid waste recycling has led most organisations not to have sorting options which can
further enhance the feasibility of solid waste reuse and recycling. Willingness to participate in
solid waste reuse and recycling was only found to be connected to immediate and realisable
benefits. A higher dependency of the organisations on the municipality for solid waste
55
management services has resulted in their reluctance to budget towards reuse and recycling
Numerous items of legislation, regulations, and policies for solid-waste management have
been issued in the country. However, law compliance is low due to the lack of stringent
enforcement. Currently, there are many types of waste-management practices that have been
management, and reuse and recycling. These practices have not had a significant effect due to
the lack of treatment facilities, poor housekeeping, and the non-separation of waste.
Therefore, pollution by solid waste is still a problem to be addressed and remedial measures
have already been identified; only the implementation still needs to be encouraged in order to
6.2 Recommendations
For the city of Gweru to fully exploit its potentials in solid waste reuse and recycling, I could
the National Solid Waste Management Framework/Plan reviewable after every 5-10
years, the Plan should emphasise the reuse and recycling of waste generated in the
city of Gweru.
The SWM Plan should include a program and implementation schedule indicating the
methods and strategies for achieving solid waste reuse and recycling. The Plan should
also cover on-site handling, storage, processing, transfer and transport of waste for
56
The Local Authority should establish a material-recovery facility (MRF), as well as
which will encourage waste generators to practice waste sorting. The Municipal
Council may direct households, shops and establishments not to mix recyclable waste
with domestic and other biodegradable waste, and instead they should use separate
The Local Authority should work towards the development of a sustainable funding
mechanism sufficient to pay the cost preparing, adopting and implanting an SWM
Plan. There should be the development of procedures, standards, and strategies for
promoting the use of recyclable materials and local markets for recycled goods.
Long term incentives to the local, national and export traders of recyclable materials,
The Central Government, as well as the Local Authority should encourage the
transportation, and treatment of solid waste for recycling, through the application of
favourable financial policies and provision of support from the government budget to
solid waste treatment and recycling. Such favourable financial policies include the use
of tax rebates. Finances towards solid waste recycling can come from implementation
of pollution-fee system.
SWM, which will function as a capital incentive for SWM alternatives (reuse and
recycling).
57
A computer database system on solid waste generators should be developed by the
Local Authority, which states the type of waste materials generated and the location
The Local Authority should develop a waste-audit scheme, such that through this
scheme, the areas of improvement and major sources of solid waste can be identified,
and based on the findings, options will then be generated to minimise the quantities of
waste produced.
The government and the Local Authority should review the existing solid waste
regulations and laws; they should develop regulations and laws that encourage the
reuse and recycling of waste materials and not just the proper handling and disposal
methods of solid waste as is the case with the current laws. The review of the existing
regulations should remedy the weakness of lack of proper guidelines on how the
private sector can operate with the Council in providing effective Solid Waste
recyclable material is crucial. Three legislative options have been used in some
container deposit legislation, and refuse bans. Mandatory collection laws set recycling
targets for cities to aim for, usually in the form that a certain percentage of a material
The existing laws should be reviewed such that they remove the idea that these laws
were not meant for profit making bodies, but for the protection of the environment
within which business ventures of different kinds are conducted, while it can be
observed that given the needed incentives, organisations can make profit from SWM
operations, such as recycling. The laws should be enforceable such that any offenders
should be penalised and fined for violations, depending on the degree of offence. All
58
revenues from the implementation of the law accrues to SWM funds (both at national
and local level) earmarked to support research and development, provide awards and
Reusing and Recycling practices can be promoted through awareness programs that
technical manuals, and videos containing the information on reuse and recycling of
solid waste and the incentives that are accrued to such activities.
activities, by providing them with the necessary information and technical assistance
infrastructure.
There is need for the community and organisations to develop animal feeding
programs that will enable the reuse of food waste, In-order to be able to reuse food
waste, feeding of domestic animals, such as pigs and dogs should be adopted.
59