Information and Education Campaign on Solid Waste Management and Household Practices

The study investigated the extent of information and education campaign (IEC) on solid waste management conducted by the government agencies in Butuan City and the solid waste practices among households. Descriptive design and stratified random sampling were used. Results reveal that the extent of IEC in both rural and urban villages of Butuan City was poor. Public forum or general assembly, focus group discussion, installation of tarpaulin and other signs, television ad and radio broadcast, house-to-house information campaign, and school campaign were seldom carried out. Lack of institutional support and inadequate provision of garbage disposal points and Mass Recovery Facilities (MRF) were evident. Majority of the households had their own garbage storage bin with a considerable number of them having separators for biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes. Some opted to use plastic bags and sacks instead. Many of those in rural areas buried their biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste to the ground. A few of those in the urban areas disposed their bio-degradable wastes to the garbage station but burned those non-biodegradable waste materials. Some waste materials were sold to scrap shops for money.

Keywords: Waste management, waste disposal, household waste management, solid waste management