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Introduction
Changes in life styles coupled with rapid urbanisation and population growth in developing economies continue to increase the per capita municipal waste generation (Bari et al., 2012; Minghwa et al., 2009; Agdag, 2008; Suocheng et al., 2001). Evidence of such changes, specific to developing economies, is the illegally disposing of waste in streets and other spaces in cities and towns. Such evidence is an indication that authorities charged with waste management (WM) responsibilities are facing challenges of sustainably managing solid waste (SW). The government and local authorities of many large busy cities in developing economies are responsible for managing SW systems from the initial point of collection to the final processing point. With modernisation, most of these organisations, especially in developing economies, are facing challenges and failing to provide a comprehensive service (Grazhdani, 2016; Kassim and Ali, 2006).
The yearly total worldwide SW production is approximately 1.7 billion tons, and by 2050, 27 billion tons is expected to be generated (Karak et al., 2012). Of the expected 27 billion tons of SW generation, 13 billion tons is predicted to be municipal solid wastes (MSWs) generated from world cities. Further, Hoornweg and Bhada-Tata (2012) indicate that 2.2 billion tons of MSWs generation is anticipated by 2025. With this anticipated increase in MSW generation, additional challenges are likely to be faced unless a sustainable solution is found. In many cases, poor management of SW results in serious environmental and sanitary problems, i.e. leachate percolation that contaminates underground water, unpleasant odours as well as likely risks of landfill areas explosions (Mor et al., 2006). In many developing economies, serious health issues with both direct and indirect efface result from uncollected SW as a result of blocked drains that cause widespread flooding and waterborne disease spreading (Wilson et al., 2013; Hoornweg, 1999).
In Zambia, sustainable management of MSWs is still at its infancy. Most of the cities are facing a number of challenges and the City of Kitwe is one of them. A number of challenges relating to none compliance to engineering and managerial practices specific to MSWs exist in the town. Uncollected MSWs, none-segregation of MSWs for recovery proposes, lack of sustainable systems for the recovery of MSWs and illegally disposed...