Toward sustainable waste management in peri-urban areas: a comprehensive analysis of household practices in Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Inefficient waste management poses a significant challenge to solid-waste management at the household level. A comprehensive understanding of current practices and perceptions of solid-waste management at this level is crucial for making informed decisions and establishing an integrated, sustainable waste-management system. Rawalpindi, the fourth most populous city in Pakistan, faces obstacles in infrastructure development and the effective delivery of utility services, including solid-waste management, due to its rapidly growing population and unplanned expansion of peri-urban areas. While limited studies have explored household solid-waste-management practices in urban centers, peri-urban zones have been largely overlooked. This study focuses on comprehensive assessment and comparison of household waste management under both public and private sector systems in the peri-urban areas of Rawalpindi. The data collection was done employing a household survey and cross-sectional questionnaire, utilizing a simple random sampling technique. Analysis involved cross-tabulation and chi-square tests. The results indicate that the private sector outperforms the public sector in waste management operations. However, there is a minimal difference in waste segregation activities between households under public (46%) and private (54%) sector waste-management systems. Residents generally perceive waste, under both waste-management systems, as esthetically unpleasant and harmful to health, with 21.7% considering waste negatively compared to 11.7% who hold a different view. Our findings suggest that socio-demographic characteristics significantly influence household waste practices and perceptions in peri-urban areas of Rawalpindi, particularly under different waste-management systems. There is an opportunity for improvement in waste segregation at the household level through targeted awareness programs, aiming to foster the development of a sustainable waste-management system.