Effectiveness of community participation as anti-litter monitors in solid waste management in metropolitan areas in a developing country

Solid waste is increasing in Harare metropolitan owing to more affluent lifestyles, rapid urbanization and industrialization, obsolete litter disposing equipment and ineffective and erratic garbage collection schedules. A total of 3500 volunteers have been jointly trained as community-based anti-litter monitors by Harare authorities to curb solid waste challenges. This study assessed the effectiveness of involving communities in anti-litter monitors' training initiatives through a comparative analysis of two adjacent suburbs in Harare, i.e. Mbare with the highest relative proportion of trained litter monitors and Sunningdale which was partially represented in the anti-litter monitors' training programme. Impact on litter and residents' knowledge, attitudes, behaviour and practices, trained and untrained, were assessed through litter measurements, questionnaires and focus group discussions. Litter quantities were 6.4 +/- 1.3 kg/week in Sunningdale and 5.6 +/- 4.5 kg/week in Mbare for streets assessed. Approximately 90% of the residents interviewed know that littering poses a serious risk to human and environmental health and the economy, and acknowledge that it is a punishable offence. 100% of residents interviewed in Mbare showed good to better attitudes towards anti-littering, whilst 17% in Sunningdale revealed a negative attitude towards anti-littering initiatives. Actual anti-littering behaviour and practices were much poorer in both suburbs relative to the level of knowledge and attitudes expressed. Anti-litter monitors are currently more effective for disseminating anti-littering information than changing actual practices. This study indicates that they are a progression from the traditional clean-up and/or education and awareness campaigns which have short-lived impacts in solid waste management in metropolitan areas of developing countries like Zimbabwe.