Abstract
South Africa generates 42 million cubic meters of waste annually, with Gauteng Province in the lead at 42% largest contributor. This study investigates hazardous household waste (HHW) management in Sandton and Alexandra to build sustainable communities in Gauteng South Africa through proper management of hazardous waste.
Objectives were to identify types of household hazardous waste and disposal methods, determine public knowledge and awareness of related challenges, and determine attitudes towards existing measures, and policies in the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality.
A quantitative, descriptive cross-sectional design, was employed, using self-developed and self-administered pre-coded questionnaires, including Likert scale software. Stratified random sampling selected 334 participants from Sandton and Alexandra. A pilot study ensured validity and reliability of the research instrument. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 29.0.0.0 applying descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages).
Findings revealed socio-economic factors influenced HHW generation and disposal practices. Furthermore, there was significant knowledge gap, with 57.8% of participants unaware of HHW. Notably, 60% of Sandton participants had tertiary education compared to 85.7 in Alexandra with no formal education. Additionally, participants expressed challenges in adhering to policies owing to limited awareness and practical barriers.
The study concludes that stakeholder collaboration, including government, communities, businesses, and NGOs were vital to develop awareness programs that enhance knowledge and implement initiatives aimed at promoting the 3Rs (reduce, re-use, recycle). These are critical for public health, and environmental sustainability. Additionally, continued research is essential to address this generally ignored topic.