Contributions of circular economy practices to waste management in Mzuzu city, Malawi

Abstract

Mzuzu City faces significant environmental challenges such as waste management, water scarcity, and air pollution. The lack of circular economy (CE) practices in Mzuzu prevents the city from moving towards a more sustainable and resilient future regarding waste management. This study assessed the contributions of circular economy practices to waste management in Mzuzu City, Malawi. The study adopted a mixed methods research design. Purposive sampling was used to identify key informant participants, including Mzuzu City Council officials, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Simple random cluster sampling was used to identify household respondents in all clusters. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, Key Informant Interviews and self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive, t-test in SPSS were applied to analyze quantitative data. Qualitative data was analyzed using NVivo. The results show that 87% of the 120 study participants had a positive perception of CE practices towards waste management. Waste repairing, reusing, and recycling emerged as the most common circular economy practices, with a majority (72%) of respondents frequently adopting these practices. There was strong agreement among respondents that waste management practices, policy framework and governance, education and awareness, and infrastructure development are effective in circular economy approach. There were significant concerns about circular design and innovation, resource efficiency, and collaboration and partnership. Notably, while economic and social impacts are perceived positively, there was dissatisfaction with resource efficiency and collaboration efforts. These findings suggest that while existing initiatives have had success in certain areas, such as raising awareness and establishing supportive policies, there remain challenges in implementing innovative circular solutions, optimizing resource use, and fostering effective collaboration among stakeholders. The households engaging in recycling have a more satisfactory approach to effective waste management. The study recommends the regular collection of waste from households, intensifying awareness campaigns on appropriate waste management practices, and enforcing the reduce, reuse, and recycle (3Rs) approach.