Browsing by Author "Kimani, Alexander"

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    A disposable diaper collection project in Langa, Cape Town, South Africa: a pilot study
    (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2024) Schenck, Catherina; Grobler, Lizette; Niyobuhungiro, Rissa; Kimani, Alexander
    In developing countries, there is currently no established waste management plan that includes resource recovery from used disposable diapers (DDs) apart from incineration and landfilling. In low-income areas with limited storage space, the complex composition and odour of used DDs make it impossible to manage properly if not supported by effective waste management systems. In the absence of effective waste management, DDs are dumped in open spaces, burned or buried. These actions pose threats to the safety and health of humans, animals and the environment. Separation and collection of DDs are critical preliminary steps to landfilling, recycling or beneficiation. In this article, we describe a case study of two pilot collection projects in Langa township in Cape Town, South Africa, to determine whether and how a source-separated collection system can work in low-income, resource-constrained areas. The lessons learned highlighted the following: The eagerness of parents to participate for the benefit of their own and their children’s health; the complementarity of the two pilot collection models to serve the needs of the community; the important role non-government organisations play in the implementation of waste management projects; the significance of the possible job creation opportunities and the unintended benefits of enhancing social cohesion. The financial sustainability of these projects needs further exploration.
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    Gis mapping of community perceptions of illegal waste dumping in Mbekweni, Paarl
    (University of Western Cape, 2020) Kimani, Alexander; Dyssel, Michael
    Illegal dumping is a global environmental problem that receives significant management and research attention from various fields of study. Illegally disposed waste (in all of its formats) can cause negative impacts on natural and human environments, and often requires multilevel interventions to abate, or to solve the resultant problems. The impacts of illegal or unsustainable disposal of waste on land, water bodies and the atmosphere contribute to various environmental problems and their levels of intensity at global, regional, national and local scales. Illegal waste disposal also infringes on fundamental human rights that are associated with clean and safe living environments.