Development Drivers of Waste Recycling in Nsukka Urban Area, Southeastern Nigeria
2009; Volume: 4; Issue: 12 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
2065-3913
Autores Tópico(s)Recycling and Waste Management Techniques
Resumo1. Introduction It has become acceptable, and somewhat fashionable, to regard recycling as a sustainable option on the waste management hierarchy (Agarwal et al., 2005; Bolaane 2006). This is because it not only provides an avenue for the identification, recovery and exploitation of waste as a resource (Sicular, 1992; The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management, 2007) but also for its potential contribution towards environmental management and livelihoods (Masocha, 2006; Langenhoven and Dyssel, 2007). Waste recycling in developing countries is being driven by the informal sector, often with minimal if any input from institutions of the state (Castells and Portes, 1989; Ahmed and Ali, 2004; Wilson et al., 2006). At the same time, the informal sector is becoming increasingly integrated into the social, cultural and economic systems of most developing countries. Consequently, solid waste management (SWM) and recycling by the informal sector are arguably a potent and contemporary social phenomena which have made some contributions to development in low-and middle- income countries (Berthier, 2003; Wilson et al., 2006; Gonzenbach and Coad, 2007; Medina, 2007; Gutberlet, 2008). It is pertinent to observe, however, that in the past few years, attention of research on SWM in Nigeria has focused essentially on contextualizing waste recycling as an approach to urban environmental management and livelihoods (Adeyemi et al., 2001; Agunwamba, 2003; Nzeadibe and Eziuzor, 2006; Nzeadibe and Iwuoha, 2008). Unfortunately, SWM and recycling appear to have received little attention from Nigerian social scientists especially from the viewpoint of the socially-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) (Nzeadibe, 2009). In particular, research on the solid waste sector in Nsukka urban area of southeastern Nigeria, has so far focused attention on waste characterization and composition (Ogwueleka, 2003), and on the capacity needs of the sector for improved solid waste and resource management (Nzeadibe & Ajaero, 2008). However, the socio-economic and demographic circumstances, which appear to motivate peoples' decisions to recycle waste, and contributions of the informal waste sector towards achieving some of the MDGs, have not elicited serious investigation. This article analyzes the drivers of waste recycling in Nsukka and describes the contributions of the recycling sector towards poverty reduction, gender equality, education, job creation and environmental sustainability Regional contextualization of informal sector waste trade in Nsukka is also presented. 2. METHODOLOGY Nsukka region is located in the northern section of southeastern Nigeria between latitudes 6[degrees]30' and 7[degrees]54' north, and longitudes 6[degrees]54' and 7[degrees]54' east. Nsukka urban is the de facto capital and largest urban centre in the region. It is also where the main campus of University of Nigeria is located. The formal/institutional arrangement for solid waste management (i.e collection and disposal) in this area is the Enugu State Waste Management Authority (ESWAMA) and Private Sector Service Providers (PSSPs) licensed by it. For the conduct of this research, a combination of questionnaire survey and ethnographic interviews was used to elicit information on socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of the waste pickers and dealers. Non-participant observation and weighing of materials using scales at the junk shops were used to determine the type and amount of materials recovered and traded by the pickers and dealers respectively. The researcher to ensure accuracy requested for and obtained permission to crosscheck the weighing process. Major centres of waste trade visited for interviews and administration of questionnaire to waste dealers and processors include Enugu Road junk shop (beside NITEL), Aku Road scrap dealers, Ogige Market abattoir, feed mills at NIPOST and Link Road Onuiyi, Orie Orba, Obollo Afor, Orie Igbo Eze and Nkwo Ibagwa. …
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