Assessing the Knowledge of Household Practice and Solid Waste Characterization in Lokoja Metropolis

Abstract

The study investigated the extent to which household solid waste characterisation knowledge was practised as a unit

of waste management in the Lokoja metropolis. It focused on households' knowledge, attitudes and practices in waste

separation and also analysed the determinants of these practices. The survey was conducted on 384 homes using

systematic random sampling techniques. The questionnaire utilised for the study targeted household heads. In the

absence of a male household head, it was administered to the next eldest person, irrespective of gender. Descriptive

statistics were utilised to analyse the data collected for the study on the knowledge of solid waste and the reasons for

engaging in solid waste management practices. The Pearson Correlation analysis technique was employed to

understand the determinants of household solid waste segregation. The findings revealed that a significant number of

households had knowledge of solid waste separation. However, they practised it for different reasons, such as time

consuming, financial constrain, and waste bin cost. The study observed a significant negative correlation between

solid waste segregation and household income, with a negative correlation value of -0.735 and a p-value of 0.002.

This is less than the alpha significance level of 0.005, and the correlation value is negative. The result implies that an

increase in household income is associated with a decrease in the level of solid waste segregation. The p-value of

0.056, greater than the alpha value of 0.005, implies a weak correlation between solid waste segregation and

educational level. This implies that educational level has little or no influence on solid waste segregation in the Lokoja

metropolis. Providing garbage collection bins to households was recommended to be a good starting point and

encouragement towards effective and efficient solid waste segregation in the Lokoja metropolis.