Significance of civic education and awareness in effective management of solid waste: Frontline sanitary workers’ perspective

Abstract

In today’s world of modernised and improved urbanised living standards the effective and proper management of solid waste has become one of essential determinants of a clean, pollution free and green environment for healthy human life and ecology. Developed countries have employed modern technologies along with civic education and awareness to recycle, reduce and reuse the solid waste, while developing countries including Pakistan are facing this menace due to lack of environmental education, awareness among communities and poor waste management practices. It has been witnessed that integrating solid waste management practices and civic education into schooling children at primary level helps in building responsible habits and practices among learners and making schools a vital means of sustainable solution to solid waste. This quantitative descriptive study attempts to investigate perceptions and experiences of (N=100) frontline sanitary workers about the significance of civic education and awareness in minimizing and managing solid waste in Hyderabad, Sindh. The paper concluded that though social media has raised awareness regarding the solid waste management, however; the awareness has not been translated into practices such as storing, collection, transportation, separation, recycling and reuse of solid waste. Findings of the paper also suggest that the community does not believe in shared responsibility of managing solid waste and considers it a sole responsibility of municipal authority, such misconception or attitude is a major hurdle in proper and effective management of solid waste.