Nearly 290,000 tons of electronic waste was generated in Nigeria during the year 2017, which is likely to increase further due to high population growth rates, accelerated urbanization, high demand for electronic products, as well as disposal at their end-of-life. At the same time, e-waste is associated with negative human health impacts, as well as environmental pollution. Therefore, environmental awareness on this waste stream is crucial in its management and possible minimization. In this paper, we report on a survey which investigated awareness levels and knowledge amongst households in the Jos metropolis, Plateau State (Nigeria). We interviewed 228 respondents by means of close-ended questionnaires. The results indicated that cell phones (93%) and television sets (82%) were mentioned by most respondents. The main reasons for acquiring these electronic devices entailed the replacement of damaged ones (49.6%), frequent product upgrades (37.7%), as well as theft (35.55%), amongst others. The most predominant method of disposing e-waste included illegal dumping in open spaces along with other household wastes (25%), storing it at home indefinitely (27.6%), and selling it to others for possible reuse (17.5%). Although the handling and storage of this waste is currently inappropriate, most respondents (84.2%) were willing to participate in its management provided they are given appropriate knowledge (89.9%) on its safe disposal and recycling. Lastly, we found no significant correlation between existing awareness levels on e-waste and willingness to participate in its management based on the socio-demographical profile of respondents. Thus, we recommend educational interventions on sound e-waste management in the Jos metropolis, along with a systematic analysis of how policy interventions such as the extended producer responsibility schemes can be designed for effective e-waste management and recycling amongst all stakeholders.

Most developing countries grapple with management of solid waste and environmental health risks associated with insanitary conditions. Indiscriminate dumping of household and industrial waste remains an alternative means of waste disposal for communities that have no access to reliable refuse removal services. This phenomenon affects not only developing countries but developed ones as well, although the literature points out that it is more prevalent in the latter. The aim of this paper is to examine the factors that are associated with the prevalence of indiscriminate dumping of waste in communities in order to establish the cause-effect relationship between these factors and environmental health risks in these communities. This paper reviewed peer-reviewed articles on the field of waste management. An approach that looks at waste management factors individually as well as holistically is needed to curb and/or end this practice.

This paper presents the factors that influence firewood use among electrified Bapedi households in Senwabarwana Villages. The study follows explanatory and exploratory methods of data analysis, through survey (structured interviews) and meta-analysis. In-depth content analysis was followed to establish trends and identify factors that influence the use of firewood among electrified households globally and in the current study area. The results confirm that firewood is still the most common energy resource used for cooking, as well as water and space heating in many developing countries. Major drivers of firewood use are household income, educational status of breadwinners, family size, and place of residence, fuel affordability and accessibility. One of the key findings of this paper is that firewood use is also a psychological and behavioural issue as well as an economic one. There are indigenous and socio-cultural perceptions attached to the use of different energy sources. It is for these reasons, among others, that most communities do not stop using firewood even when they have access to electricity. However, the results reveal a shift from dependence on firewood to other energy sources as household income and educational levels improve. The latter is primarily a convenient factor of energy selection. In conclusion, the current study concludes that firewood use is primarily driven by convenience. The more convenient the source of energy, the more attractive it becomes to different households.

Indigenous knowledge systems related to solid waste management in economically marginalized communities have been largely overlooked in the scientific literature, even though the indigenous communities of developing nations struggling to manage solid waste rely on these practices. It is startling that indigenous solid waste management practices are scarcely documented in the scientific literature despite their position as potential alternative disposal methods. This gap persists amid limited municipal budgets, inadequate waste collection services, and poor infrastructure in economically marginalized indigenous rural communities in developing nations. Subsequently, in the discipline of solid waste management, this obstacle impedes the recognition and inclusion of indigenous waste management practices into integrated waste management plans. As a result, this causes a delay in their progress or elevation to the same level of credibility as mainstream scientific knowledge. In the process, this relegates the waste management practices of indigenous communities to the background. Against this background, the current study sought to investigate the indigenous solid waste management practices of rural communities in Bushbuckridge Local Municipality. As such, ten cases that captured the spatial cultural diversity of indigenous communities’ practices across Bushbuckridge Local Municipality (BLM) were selected for sampling. Data were collected using ethnographic research methods. Data analysis was carried out using the thematic analysis approach. Inductive logic was used in the interpretation of the current study results. The results of the current study indicate that indigenous communities of Bushbuckridge Local Municipality, in the absence of formal waste management services from the local authority, resort to an indigenous knowledge system to manage solid waste. Waste burning (100%), open-air dumping (100%), and backyard pits (90%) are some of the indigenous waste management practices espoused by the rural communities of BLM. The similarity in practices was corroborated by statistical inferences that revealed that between BLM communities, the amount of indigenous waste management practices is not significant (p > 0.05). However, there are concerns that despite the sustainability aspect associated with recycling (<25%) practices, these disposal methods are not common in the rural communities of BLM. This is a setback for an indigenous knowledge system that is supposed to advance environmental sustainability practices.

This paper reviews the influence of municipal sustainable chain management on South Africa’s recycling performance. In this study, municipal supply chain management systems are identified as one of the major factors that influence the lack of municipal solid waste services in communities (including recycling performance in South Africa). Through an in-depth analysis of secondary data and a meta-analysis of available data, this study examines the positive and negative reactions of supply chain management systems to sustainable and unsustainable approaches to municipal solid waste practices. The concept of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) is used in this paper to refer to a comprehensive and efficient mechanism that integrates the municipal solid waste planning and procurement systems of the municipality. Thus, SSCM is the recommended model for addressing South Africa’s challenges in terms of services delivery, particularly the solid waste challenges, and it integrates indigenous and modern systems of waste management.