Guide for Organising a Community Clean-up Campaign

*Innocent Rangeti and Bloodless Dzwairo*

## **Abstract**

While it is the government's and municipality's mandate to ensure that its citizens stay in a clean and safe environment, it is of concern that waste management remains a big challenge in urban areas especially in developing countries. Increased economic development, rapid population growth and improvement of living standards are among the factors attributed to increased quantity and complexity of solid waste being generated. On the other hand, while people generate wastes, they continue to be looked at as passive recipients of municipality services. Ultimately, citizens fail to recognise their role in waste management and become unwilling to either pay for service delivery or participate in clean-up campaigns. Waste dumps are prime breeding sites for communicable disease vectors such as rodents, mosquitoes and houseflies, which can exacerbate the prevalence of water, food and waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid. This chapter thus describes the methodology of successfully conducting a community-led cleanup campaign. It is based on experience gained during implementation of an urban water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) project. Ward level clean-up campaigns were organised and conducted by community members and local leaders. Besides clearing illegal dumpsites, the activity was also used to raise awareness on the consequence of waste dumping. The experience showed that organising a clean-up campaign only requires careful timeous planning. Overall, it was concluded that not only does the activity serve the practical purpose of cleaning, but it also creates a greater sense of unity and friendship among community members. Additionally, the power of beautification in a clean-up campaign wold naturally motivate residents to believe that their problems could be solved, resulting in a shared responsibility for sustainable management of waste and commons at local level.

**Keywords:** clean-up campaign, solid waste manage, community participation, illegal waste dumping, waste dumps, community volunteers

#### **1. Introduction**

Solid waste is any material that is primarily not a liquid or gas and is unwanted and/or unvalued, discarded by its owner, and can be from domestic, commercial or industrial operations [1]. Globally, there are ongoing campaigns to promote sustainable use of the environment while considering the negative effects of waste in general as well as climate change, which have become evident in a number of regions [2–5]. In particular, the primary aim of sustainable solid waste management is to address concerns related to environmental pollution, public health, land use, resource management and socio-economic impacts associated with improper

disposal of waste. However, as urbanisation continues, the management of solid waste in particular, remains a major public health and environmental concern. Specifically in Zimbabwe's urban areas, more than 2.5 million tonnes of industrial and household waste is produced per annum [6]. The bulk of this waste has been noted to end up in open, illegal dump sites, urban streams and wetlands, resulting in blocked drainage systems, contaminated surface and groundwater, which causes several environmental, health and economical challenges.

Even though several studies have been conducted globally on waste management and the effects of pollution [7–11] this unfortunately, has not translated into an improvement in solid waste management especially in developing countries such as Zimbabwe. Various factors, for example, rapid urbanisation, population and economic growth as well as elevated human standard way of living have also been cited as key determinants enhancing waste generation in developing countries [12]. Zimbabwe, despite having some well crafted legislations on waste management (Environmental Management Act (EMA), Chapter 20: 27, Urban Councils Act, Chapter 29:15), has not been spared from solid waste management challenges. These include low collection coverage, irregular collection services, crude open dumping and burning. Section 70 (1) of the country's EMA Act stipulates that 'No person shall discharge or dispose any waste in a manner that causes environmental pollution or ill health to any person'. Additionally, Section 83 (1) of the same Act prohibits littering by stating that: No person shall discard, dump or leave any litter on any land or water surface, street, road or site in or at any place except in a container provided for that purpose or at a place which has been specially designated, indicated, provided or set apart for such purpose [13].

Solid Waste management entails the collection, transportation and disposal services. While it is a mandate of governments and local authorities to ensure that their citizens stay in clean and safe environments, it is of concern that solid waste management still remains a big challenge in urban areas, especially of developing countries. Various studies have highlighted that active community participation is essential for improved service delivery including solid waste management [14–16]. Community participation can comprise varying degrees of involvement of the local community ranging from contribution of cash, labour, consultation, adaptation of behaviour, involvement in administration, management and decision-making. Countries continue to be expected to progress in improved waste management by 2020; through the sharing of knowledge, experience and best practices [17]. The benefits of this integrated sustainable solid waste management approach includes natural resource conservation, reduction of the amount of waste to be recycled or transported for land filling, decrease in air pollution and greenhouse production, reduction in production of toxic waste and ultimately reduction in cost related to the collection and disposal of waste [18]. Countries thus need to take all possible measures to prevent unsound management or illegal dumping of waste particularly hazardous waste especially given the negative effects of waste.

#### **2. Effects of illegal waste dumping**

Poorly managed wastes have several effects and impact on human and animal health, economic development and social impact [19–21]. Waste dumps are prime breeding sites for communicable disease vectors such as rodents, mosquitoes and houseflies [22]. These vectors tend to exacerbate the prevalence of food, water and waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid and malaria, among other. For example, Zimbabwe experienced a huge cholera outbreak between from 2008 to 2009, recording 98,952 cases and cases and a mobidity of 4288. Key drivers cited for this huge outbreak was inadequate supply of good quality water as well as poor

#### *Guide for Organising a Community Clean-up Campaign DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.94515*

solid waste management [23]. On the other hand, waste incineration, which had and continue as common practise in urban areas, releases fumes that naturally cause acute respiratory infections as well as odours that make the environment uninhabitable. It is reported that less than 30% of urban waste in developing countries is collected and disposed appropriately.

Leachate from dumpsite pollutes underground water, which has emerged as an alternative water source in most urban areas such as Harare in Zimbabwe, as the city continues to experience serious municipal water supply challenges. Besides the public health concern, illegal waste dumps tend to reduce the aesthetic status of a neighbourhood, thus reducing the economic value of properties within the vicinity [24]. Solid waste tends to clog drains thus causing flooding. Additionally, solid waste may also harm animals that consume it unknowingly, as well as affect economic development through diminished environmental value and tourism, which are generally viewed as externalities as they are negative costs [25], which need to be incorporated into sustainable development models.

The proliferation of rubbish is attributed to many factors, key among them being, population increase, rapid urban growth, lack of environmental education, inadequate bins and irregularities in waste collection by the responsible authority [12]. While efforts are being made by some local authorities to secure modern state of art waste management equipment such as compactors, this development has not yielded the desired results as communities still continue to dump waste. Insufficient technical services, lack of spare parts and low maintenance budgets are among the factors attributed to the poor performance of advanced waste management technologies currently being adopted by some local authorities in low developed countries. When such sophisticated equipment breaks down the entire waste management system fails. On the other hand, generally people litter because for lack of ownership for the public facilities and areas, because they believe someone else will do it, eg the municipality, or that they find the litter tolerable or even that they would have given up since the littrer had already accumulated anyway. Hence the challenge where common resources are subject to neglect and the widely used phrase "tragedy of the commons" [26–29].

Rangeti, Tendere [16] highlighted that the failure of the top-down approaches towards waste management especially in developing countries, cannot only been attributed to technical and financial challenges, but also to the low involvement of communities in service delivery. Whereas every person generates waste, they continue to be looked at as passive recipients of municipality services. Ultimately, citizens fail to recognise their role in waste management and become unwilling to either pay for service delivery or participate in clean-up campaigns. Dillon and Steifel [30] further elaborated that people's engagement involves the deliberate and systematic mobilisation of local communities around issues and problems of common concern. Even LeBan, Perry [31] attested to the understanding that people gain information, skills, and experience in community involvement that helps them take control of their own lives and challenge social systems. Thus the success of any programme of action depends on the response by citizens, particularly the targeted beneficiaries [32, 33]. With that background, this paper is based on experiences by the author during implementation of a water, sanitation and hygiene project in Bindura, Zimbabwe, where the community was engaged to voluntarily clean up there neighbourhoods. The paper provides lessons on how to organise an effective community ward based clean-up campaign [34].

#### **3. Study area**

Bindura (**Figure 1**) is the administrative capital of Mashonaland Central Province, Zimbabwe. It is located in the Mazowe Valley, about 88 km north-east of Harare. It is made up of 12 wards. According to the 2012 census, Bindura had a population of has 46,275.

During implementation of a water, sanitation and hygiene project, the project team successfully mobilised communities to conduct 27 ward based clean-up campaigns over a period of eight months (February – September 2015). This was done following some ward-based sensitisation on the importance of improved waste management and hygiene issues. The Citizen Supporting Service Delivery (CSSD) concept was used to sensitise the community on the need for participation in waste management efforts. In addition, five waste management groups undertaking various waste recoveries and recycling projects as shown in **Figure 2**, were established.

**Figure 1.** *Bindura town map.*
