Assessing the potential of plastic recycling on reducing environmental pollution in Kabale municipality, Kabale district.

Abstract

In Uganda, most people show little regard for the environment resulting into use of non-biodegradable plastic materials which are usually poorly disposed off and only a small fraction is recycled. The overall objective of the study was to assess the potential of plastic recycling on reducing environmental pollution in Kabale municipality. Data was collected from areas in the three divisions of Northern, Southern and Central division through the use of questionnaires and through observation guided by the observation checklist. Results indicated that the sources of plastic waste were majorly the economic activities carried out in the municipality such as industrialization and trading activities and the residents who dispose of plastic waste recklessly. The plastic waste materials observed in the municipal solid waste majorly included plastic bags of all types and polystyrene which includes plastic bottles, shampoo bottles, jerry cans, and plastic toys. Mechanical recycling, chemical recycling and energy recovery were the major methods suggested for recycling plastic waste in Kabale municipality.