HOUSEHOLD PLASTIC WASIF. MANAGEMENT AND DISPOSAL BEHAVIOR IN PERI-URBAN ZAMBIA: A QUANrrrATIVE CASE STUDY OF NDEKE CIIANGACHANGA, KITWE TOWNSHIP

Abstract

The study examined household plastic waste disposal behaviours, sorting practices, and
ereeptions of collection system effectiveness among 150 households in Ndeke Changa Changa,
ieri-urban township in Kitwe. Zambia Strucnired questionnaires cuptured demographic
huracteristics and waste management practices, and chi-square tests of independence were use
o esamine associations between demographic variables and houschold behastours Throwing
aste into regular trash bins (42.0% n 63) and burning (40.7%, n 61) emerged as the m
taminant disposal methods, while 16.0% (n =24) of households reported dumping plastie waste
n open arcas: recyeling was practised by ouly 1.3% (n = 2) of households. Nearly half o
espoudents (49.3%, n- 74) reported never sorting their plastie waste, and no-thirdds (66.7%.)
100) regarded the existing collection system as ineffective Education level wus significanthy
ssociated with both disposal method (y = 16.010. df=6.p = 014) and sorting frequency (r
17.934. dj=6,p =: 006). Combined, burning and open dumping accounted for 56.7% of household
lisposol behuviours. Respoudents most frequently called for more collection points (52.7%) and
reater community education on plastic waste (34.7%). These findings underscore the urgent need
or integrated interientions combining infrastructure expansion, targeted education for less
ducated households, and formal tecyeling programmes to curb environmentally harmful plastic
disposal practices in peri-urban Zambian townships