Determinants of household participation in municipal solid waste reuse in Robe City, Ethiopia for sustainable urban waste management

Abstract

The increasing size of solid waste generated and the lack of proper waste management systems are growing concerns in developing countries, including Ethiopia. This study assessed municipal solid waste reuse practices and identified determining factors in Robe City. To realize this objective, the study used a mixed research approach with a cross-sectional survey design. Data were collected from 391 randomly selected households through a survey questionnaire. Additionally, key informants’ interviews and observations were used to collect qualitative data. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression models were used to analyze the reuse of solid wastes and the determining factors. Results revealed that 63.4% of households failed to properly collect and segregate solid waste, and 52.7% lacked access to door-to-door waste collection services. Although 55.6% were aware of reuse practices, only 34.9% reused waste. Logistic regression identified eight predictors of reuse behavior: sex, age, education, income, training access, municipal supervision, awareness, and clean-up campaign participation. Female respondents, older households, and those with better education or training were more likely to reuse waste. The study concludes that gaps in awareness, infrastructure, and municipal support hinder municipal solid waste reuse. To enhance municipal solid waste reuse in Robe city, local authorities should prioritize awareness creation, expand access to household-level training programs, and strengthen municipal waste collection and supervision services.