Waste management practices amongst small businesses in the townships of Gauteng province in South Africa

Bibliographic Data

ID21541083
AuthorsIsaac T Rampedi (0000-0002-1868-8486, University of Johannesburg, corresponding author), Thea Schoeman (0000-0002-5831-4550, University of Johannesburg), Phyllis Rumbidzai Kwenda (0000-0002-2709-1630, University of Johannesburg)
Year2024
Volume41
Issue6
Pages1160-1178
Publication date2024-11-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueDevelopment Southern Africa (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0376-835X • E-ISSN: 1470-3637
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/0376835x.2024.2398541
OpenAlexW4402805568
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited18

This paper investigated waste management practices of small businesses in the selected townships of Gauteng province, South Africa. Surveys were conducted by means of questionnaire-administered interviews and primary data were analysed by descriptive and inferential statistics. Results indicated that most businesses generated wastes in the form of plastics (59–75%), cardboards (31–61%), and food remains (21–37%). Approximately 64–68% of small businesses relied on the municipality for waste collection and disposal. By contrast, 10–20% of businesses gave away their recyclable materials to informal waste reclaimers while only a few were recycling (7–14%) or reusing (6–12%) their wastes, respectively. The survey found a significant association between the formality of businesses and certain types of wastes that they were generating, namely, office paper, glass, metals, food items, and other waste materials. Based on these findings, some recommendations are suggested for improving existing waste management practices and maximising waste reduction efforts in the townships

Agricultural economics · Business · Economic growth · Economics · Environmental planning · Geography · Socioeconomics · Legal Issues in South Africa · Municipal Solid Waste Management · Urban and Rural Development Challenges

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