Public perception on the current solid waste management

Abstract

The rapid growth in population, new housing and shop area and economic in Perlis will slightly affect the landfill life span as the landfill has its own limit for per capita in producing waste per day. Currently, Perlis produced about more than 200 tonnes/day recorded from SWCorp. It’s slightly higher than it expected weight which supposed to have an average of waste generation around 180 – 200 tonnes/day. Solid waste generated in Perlis during the first half of year 2015 was in average of 0.83kg/capita/day which leading to about 1.0kg/capita/day. The key issue that highlighted in this study focuses on public perception of the current solid waste management system, public attitude towards recycling and separating waste where to observe the current household solid waste management practices in terms of recycling and separation of solid waste at source and public awareness towards open burning waste and awareness on of landfill operation. A form of a questionnaire was designed and will be carried out through a survey by distributing it to the people in Kangar and Kuala Perlis. The sample of the respondents is 200 for each Kangar and Kuala Perlis respectively. In regards to solid waste management, 100% of respondent from Kangar are strongly agree and satisfied while 58.7% Kuala Perlis area are not satisfied with the solid waste management collection services provided in their living area. On public attitude towards separating of waste and recycling, 70.8% of Kangar respondent have started practicing on recycling and waste separation at home following as government plans. Meanwhile, 96.5% respondents from Kuala Perlis have not started to getting involved. Eventhough they have a limited knowledge on groundwater contamination, majority of the respondents involved in this study agreed that poor handling hazardous chemical materials, could lead to groundwater contamination.