SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER

BTI 2021

ABSTRACT
My City my Responsibility.” Zimbabwe a world
class status by 2030”
Lorraine
SWM

solid waste management

REDUCE, REUSE AND RECYCLE
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
Reduce, reuse and recycle
Key points to look at:
1. Amount of biodegradable waste produced at household level.
2. Waste disposal characteristics at household level
3. Waste disposal characteristics at municipal level
4. Social and economic impacts of waste disposal
5. Traditional and cost effective ways of disposing waste that are suitable for Zimbabwe
environment. (Look at use of biogas digesters as a means to reduce pollution due to solid
waste).
BACKGROUND
Any refuse or rubbish discarded after being consumed or used is regarded as solid waste (Dr
Janis Zaloksnis, 2003). Any substance regarded as no longer having any economic, social and
technological value is removed from human activities and discarded as waste. However any such
waste discarded in municipal land or territory is then regarded as Municipal Waste. Municipal
waste in this case solid waste is mainly generated in residential areas and is grouped into 4 main
types which include a) Biodegradable waste for example food, kitchen waste and green waste, b)
Inert waste which includes construction and demolition waste, dirt rocks and paints, c)
Recyclable waste such as paper, glass, plastic, metals and cans, d) Hazardous and toxic waste
such ads paints, chemicals, spray cans, light bulbs, fertilizers, e-waste and pesticides (Dr Janis
Zaloksnis, 2003).

The saying that “Cleanliness is next to Godliness” is no longer practical in Zimbabwe. With an
increase in population (current statistics 16.91 million people), solid waste is now a cause for
concern across the country, with many people forming unauthorized dumping sites in unsuitable
places. This is not only a healthy risk but also a risk to our environment. Clean up campaigns
have not been sufficient enough to curb awareness to the society. This can be noticed by the fact
that people are failing to practice waste segregation at household levels. A survey across the
country has shown that, the society is not aware of solid waste segregation practices as a result
there is still a big gap to fill concerning this matter. The new dispensation has a target of making
Zimbabwe a world class status by 2030, hence Solid Waste Management is a top priority in order
to achieve these goals. Zimbabwe, to date is failing to achieve these milestones, due to limited
financial resources and poor service delivery, which impact substantially to the provision of a
clean environment. As a developing country, there are ancient and cost effective ways that can
be utilized to help reduce solid waste impacts to our country. This research is going to be focused
on biogas digesters and how they can be implemented for use across Zimbabwe.
BACKGROUND OF BIOGAS DIGESTERS