ABSTRACT
A clean and sanitary environment is a non-negotiable vital essence of human life. The supporting roles of the environment pre-suppose that human beings should jealously guard against its contamination or pollution. The rate of urbanization and urban growth is high in developing country such as Nigeria which is experiencing an increase in social, economic and development activities. The effect of this process is sustained transitional culture and pressure on infrastructural facilities and services provided in urban centers.
One of such services is the collection and disposal of refuse. The incessant indiscrimination in the disposal of domestic polythene waste arising from our homes has assumed such dimensional that constitute a danger to the environment and to our very existence. Heaps of polythene waste has become features of urban centers. This pollutes the air with offensive odours, habour bacteria, insects and rodents which cause diseases that endanger public health. The refuse menace has in its wreaked havoc on drainage lines, pedestrians and vehicular traffic and causing image problems for city dwellers and government. The obvious inability of structures put in place to manage this problem has become a source of worry to both individual and government. Hence the goal of this research is to determine the effects of indiscriminate disposal of domestic polythene waste in Abakaliki urban physical environment with a view to evolving a sound domestic polythene waste management in Abakaliki Urban environment. Extensive collections of secondary and primary data were made in this research. The secondary data were sourced from books, journal, while the primary was sourced from the field by the instrument of the questionnaire, interviews and personal observations. Method of analysis used was chi-square. The findings confirmed that people’s environmental awareness is significantly related to in-discriminating disposal of domestic polythene waste in Abakaliki Urban environment.
THE EFFECTS OF INDISCRIMINATE DISPOSAL OF DOMESTIC POLYTHENE WASTE IN ABAKALIKI URBAN ENVIRONMENT
A PROJECT SUBMITTED TO
THE DEPARTMENT OF SOIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (B. Sc.) DEGREE IN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page…………………………………………………….. i
Certification………………………………………………….. ii
Dedication……………………………………………………. iii
Acknowledgements…………………………………………. iv
Table of Contents …………………………………………… v
List of Tables………………………………………………….. ix
Plates………………………………………………………….. xi
CHAPTER ONE
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.0 Background of the Study………………………………… 1
1.1 Goal and Objectives………………………………………. 3
CHAPTER TWO
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW……………………………………4
2.1 The Concept of Polythene………………………………… 8
2.2 Definition of Terms…………………………………………. 8
2.3 Composition of Polythene…………………………………. 10
2.4 Thermoplastic Resins……………………………………… 12
2.5 Types of Polythene………………………………………… 13
2.6 Properties of polythene…………………………………….. 16
2.7 Uses of polythene…………………………………………… 17
2.8 Solid Waste Generation and magnitudes…………………. 17
2.9 Existing Methods of Polythene Waste Disposal…………. 18
2.10 Effects of Indiscriminate Disposal of Domestic Polythene
Waste in Abakaliki Urban Physical Environment…………. 22
2.11 Causes of Indiscriminate Disposal of Domestic Waste….. 25
2.12 Critical Health Risk of Polyethylene on aquatic Enviroment.28
CHAPTER THREE
3.0 MATERIALS AND METHODS…………………….. 33
3.1 Study Area: Abakaliki Urban Physical Environment .. 33
3.2 Sampling Technique …………………………………… 34
3.3 Sample Size……………………………………………… 36
CHAPTER FOUR
4.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ……………………….. 39
4.1 Questionnaire as tool of scientific research ………….. 39
4.2 Socio-economic parameters in science research……… 40
4.3 Major Sources of Domestic Polythene Waste:
In Abakaliki Urban………………………………………… 44
4.4 Causes of Indiscriminate Disposal Of Domestic
Polythene Waste………………………………………….. 46
4.5 Disposal Means of Polythene after Use……………….. 47
4.6 Perception on Waste Effect on People and Others….. 48
4.7 Perceived Problems Associated With Polythene Waste
Littering in the Physical Environment…………………… 50
4.8 Perception of any Better Means to Dispose Off the
Polythene Waste…………………………………………… 51
4.9 Factors Affecting Domestic Polythene Waste Disposal… 51
4.11 Formulation of Hypothesis………………………………… 59
4.12 Discussion ………………………………………………….. 60
CHAPTER FIVE
5.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ……………63
5.1 Conclusion…………………………………………………… 63
5.2 Recommendation…………………………………………… 64
References…………………………………………………………. 70
Appendix …………………………………………………………… 74
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Total Wastes Generated in Types/Percent,
2001……………………………………………. 16
Table 2: Questionnaire sampled and returned
(primary Data)………………………………….. 39
Table 3. Distribution of respondents
Table 4.: Responses on the mode the Authority use in the
collection of the waste…………………………….. 41
Table 5. Variables for Hypothesis Test: Knowledge on how
indiscriminate disposal of domestic polythene waste affect people and others…………………………………. 42
Table 6: Educational Qualification of respondents……… 43
Table 7: Occupational status of Respondents …………… 43
Table 8: Monthly income level of respondents …………. 44
Table 9: Major Sources Of Domestic Polythene Waste
In Abakaliki Urban…………………………………… 46
Table 10: Respondent opinion on the causes of
indiscriminate disposal of Domestic polythene
waste……………………………………………………47
Table 11: Disposal means of polythene after use. ………….. 48
Table 12 : Responses on the awareness that polythene waste
littering affect people and others…………………… 49
Table 13: Perception on whether polythene waste littering
affects the physical environment. …………….. 49
Table 14: Perceived problems associated with polythene
waste littering in the physical environment. ………. 50
Table 15: Respondents perception of any better means to
dispose off the polythene waste…………………….. 51
Table 16: The organs that collect polythene waste ……………. 52
Table 17: Responses on how often does the Authority
collect their polythene waste………………………… 53
Table 18: Responses on the mode the Authority
use in the collection of the waste…………………… 53
Table 19: Responses on the Distance from the Disposal
site to Respondents place…………………………. 54
Table 20: Assessment of EBSEPA in domestic polythene
waste disposal………………………………………. 55
Table 21: Source of getting information on how to manage
polythene waste disposal……………………………. 56
Table 22: Knowledge on how indiscriminate Disposal of
polythene affects people………………………….. 57
Table 23: Willingness to pay refuse as you generate……… 57
Table 24: Amount that would be likely to paid liter Bin/Trash
Can……………………………………………………. 58
Table 25: Variables for Hypothesis Test. Knowledge
on how indiscriminate disposal of domestic
polythene waste affect people and others………… 59
PLATES
PLATE A: Littered polythene waste Located Behind St Patrick’s Catholic
Church Amaikeaba Causing Untidy Sight in the Environment…………30
PLATE B: Littered polythene waste behind kpirikpiri market; having a death trap located directly opposite as gully. less than an inch away from the Main road and destroy the aesthetic appeal of the environment. ……………30
PLATE C : Permanent dump and treatment site of EBSEPA containing mainly domestic polythene waste located at Abakaliki/Enugu express road…..31
PLATE D : Drainage about to be covered up by polythene waste At VANCO junction opposite Meat market Abakaliki. …………………31
PLATE E : Drainage already covered by polythene waste disposal mixed with sand, located at VANCO junction opposite Meatmarket Abakaliki…………………………………32
PLATE F : Mobile container used by EBSEPA at CAS collection point, for final disposal, located at waterworks road Abakaliki. …………………..32
THE EFFECTS OF INDISCRIMINATE DISPOSAL OF DOMESTIC POLYTHENE WASTE IN ABAKALIKI URBAN ENVIRONMENT
A PROJECT SUBMITTED TO
THE DEPARTMENT OF SOIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES