Abstract:
Household solid waste management has become problematic in urban areas
especially in developing countries like Ethiopia due to increased waste generation
and lack of awareness. Due to this households are dumping of wastes in
unauthorized sites, which easily expose to harsh hazards, like environmental
pollution and health problem. Therefore, the overall objective of the study is to
analyze perception and household level determinants of legal solid waste
management practice in Debre Markos town. The data were collected from 201
households, which were selected through multi-stage sampling from seven ‘kebells’.
Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics tools such as two-sample t test,
Pearson chi-square and correlation were used to know the relationship between
variables. Logistic regression and tobit model were also used to identify factors that
determine the effectiveness of legal solid waste management at household level in the
study area. The descriptive findings show that plastic, paper and ash constitute the
major waste bulk generated by the households. In addition, there is a positive link
between household’s income and waste generation. Though all households have
temporary storage in their home, they did not store wastes separately based on its
nature. Disposed off solid wastes in unauthorized sites by the households is highly
practiced in Debre Markos. The empirical analyses, using the logistic regression
model, shows that, household head age, household head sex, household head marital
status, household head educational level, household’s income, distance of residents
they walk from the main road or center, household’s awareness on solid waste
management and housing arrangement (possession of house) are the major
determinants of legal household solid waste management practice in the study area.
