Interrelationship between Affluence and Household Size on Municipal Solid Waste Arising: Evidence from Selected Residential Areas of Putrajaya

Municipal solid waste (MSW) has always been an unavoidable byproduct of human habitation and activities. As the world now sees an exponential growth in population, so does it sees an alarming increase in the quantity of generated MSW. If managed and disposed of improperly, MSW is a major cause of adverse environmental conditions. Rapid development, urbanization, changes in consumption patterns and elevated levels of affluence in recent decades have only exacerbated the issue, especially in developing countries such as Malaysia. Hence, the impetus to handle these problems and to manage MSW in an efficient yet environmentally sound manner is reaching an apogee currently. Determining per capita MSW generation rate and understanding it’s influencing factors is one step towards efficient MSW management. The objectives of this study are twofold; to determine current per capita residential MSW arising rate and subsequently to discern if a correlation exists between MSW generation rate, affluence and household size. Three discrete housing neighborhoods in Putrajaya were selected as the areas under study. To capture varying socioeconomic levels, the selected study areas consists of bungalow, semidetached and terraced houses. Primary data was obtained by door-to-door weighing of MSW for 12 consequent days which makes up a sampling phase. This was conducted concurrently in all study areas, with a total of 3 sampling phases done over a 1 year period. A face-to-face survey was then performed on all households under study to obtain relevant socioeconomic data. From the analysis done, it is found that generally, household size has an inverse relationship on MSW arising. The affect of affluence on MSW discharge rate is found to be positive. From this study, concerted efforts to reduce MSW arising can be better focused on selected target groups and demographics, bringing us a step closer to sustainable waste management practices.