1. The document discusses plastic waste production and management in rural communities in Eswatini. It finds that rural households generate around 0.48kg of plastic waste per month (15.9g per day), mainly consisting of LDPE, HDPE, EPS, PET and PVC. 2. Current plastic waste management practices in the rural communities include open burning, reuse of plastics, burying, and disposing in backyard waste pits. Recycling is limited. Education on proper plastic waste management is lacking. 3. The study recommends improved plastic waste management practices for the rural communities, as current traditional methods are unsustainable and pose environmental and health risks.

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1
PLASTIC WASTE
PRODUCTION
AND
MANAGEMENT IN
THE RURAL AREAS
OF ESWATINI: A
CASE OF
ZOMBODZE
EMUVA AND
ZIKHOTHENI
COMMUNITIES
By:
NXUMALO SIZWE
What Are Plastics?
• The word plastic comes from the Greek word “plasticos”
 Plasticos means to be able to be shaped or molded by heat.
• Plastic is an organic polymer, available in some resin form
which can be liquid or paste like for embedding, coating,
and adhesive bonding, or they can be molded, laminated,
or form shapes, including sheet, film, or larger-mass bulk
shapes.
• A number of defining characteristics make plastic a
convenient material for the manufacture of everyday
products.
• Plastic do not biodegrade easily.
• Plastics are a problem to the environment, animal and
human life.
Production of Plastics
• There has been a steady increase in the use of plastic
products.
• Mass production of plastic began in earnest in the 1950s.
• The scale of its production had increased immensely by 1988;
to about 30 million tonnes per annum, reaching 265 million
tonnes by 2010.
• Today, solid waste has increased to 9.1 billion tonnes, of which
6.9 billion tonnes is plastic waste.
• The rise of the production of plastics has resulted to plastic
pollution.
• More than 50% of the world population, especially in the rural
areas lack knowledge about the effects of plastic waste (UNEP,
2018).
Plastic Waste in the Rural Areas
• Plastic pollution has emerged as a major problem in rural areas
and the issue of managing plastic waste has become a challenge
over time.
• 1.9 billion people lack waste collection services in rural areas.
Driving Forces
• Poorly developed waste management in low and middle income
areas.
• Lack of reliable regional waste statistics.
• Lack of waste collection services.
• Public and traditional events.
• Lack of education on plastic waste management.
Problem of Plastic Pollution in Rural
Households of Eswatini
• Plastics pose a threat to Eswatini’s environment (Nkonyane, 2018).
Driving Forces
• No strict laws that ban plastics.
• Failure to introduce plastic levy.
• Shops freely dispense plastic bags to the consumers.
• Lack of knowledge/education.
• Poor waste management practices (traditional).
• Lack of reliable statistics of waste generated.
• However, dynamics of plastic waste disposal and management in these
rural areas still poorly researched in Eswatini.
Thus the study.
Findings of the Study
Disposal sites for plastic waste in the rural
areas/communities?
•Backyard of homesteads
•Along roads
•Bushes
•Rivers
•Dongas and trenches
•Crop land
•Sport grounds
•Backyard waste pits

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Examples of Plastic Waste in the Rural Areas of
Eswatini
In water bodies (e.g. rivers) Along roads
Plastic waste disposal in velds and bushes
Plastic waste disposed even in a sport grounds Types of Plastic Waste Generated by the Rural Households of
Eswatini
• The community of Zikhotheni and Zombodze Emuva generates a
number of plastic waste material, these include:
a) Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
b) High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE),
c) Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC),
d) Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE)
e) Polypropylene (PP),
f) Polystyrene (PS)
g) Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)
h) “Other” plastic types which are layered or mixed with other plastic
types, such as bio-plastics.
Green (safest choice), Orange (use with caution), Red (avoid).
Plastic Types and Their Uses
Types of plastic Waste Generated by the Rural Households of
Zikhotheni and Zombodze Emuva
Plastic
Type
Zikhotheni
Freq %
Zombodze
Emuva
Freq %
PET 42 77.8 46 83.6
HDPE 48 88.9 50 90.7
PVC 30 55.6 40 72.7
LDPE 50 92.6 53 96.4
PP 22 40.7 37 67.3
PS 10 18.5 20 36.4
EPS 47 87 46 83.6
Other 16 29.6 26 47.3

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A map of Zombodze Emuva showing households generating LDPE A map of Zikhotheni showing households generating LDPE
Estimated Average Amount of Plastic Waste Generated in
the Rural Households of Eswatini
• The amount of plastic waste generated by the rural communities vary
by type.
Monthly
• The most generated types are LDPE,HDPE,EPS, PET and as well as PVC.
• Measurements per plastic type are between 0.01kg to 0.09kg.
• Zikhotheni (total) = 0.46kg
• Zombodze Emuva (total) = 0.52kg
• Monthly average = 0.48kg.
Daily
• EPS, LDPE,HDPE, and PET, are the most generated types.
• Waste generated between 0.3 grams to 2.99 grams per type
• Zikhotheni (total) = 14.8g
• Zombodze Emuva (total) = 17g per day.
• Daily average = 15.9g
0
0.01
0.02
0.03
0.04
0.05
0.06
0.07
0.08
0.09
0.1
PET HDPE PVC LDPE PP PS EPS OTHER
MonthlyAverage(kg)
Types of Plastic Waste
Zikhotheni Zombodze
Estimated Monthly Average Amount of Plastic Waste
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
PET HDPE PVC LDPE PP PS EPS OTHER
DailyAverageAmount(grams)
Types of Plastic Waste
Zikhotheni Zombodze Emuva
Estimated Daily Average Amount of Plastic Waste Generated
Spring balances that were used to weigh the waste

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Adopted Plastic Waste Management Practices in the Rural
Areas of Eswatini
Open burning
• Plastic waste is burnt using open air burning method
• Burn plastic when starting a fire
• Burnt intentionally when cleaning the yard
Reuse
• Plastic waste is reused for various purposes
• Examples include reusing plastic bottles to store water and other
liquids. Plastic bags for storing meet in deep freezers.
Recycle
• Plastics are recycled differently.
• Recycling is done after a long time (very limited)
Burying of Plastic Waste
• Buried when waste pit is full
• Buried together with other types of solid waste
Management Practices (cont.)
Dispose in backyard waste pit
• Households have waste pits in their backyards
• Plastic waste is disposed occasionally
Selling of Plastic Waste
• Some respondents sell their plastic waste
• Plastic waste such as water and soft drink bottles is sold to women at
market places
Dispose in backyard
• Thrown in the backyard of homestead
• Normally disposed on backyard due to the lack of waste pit.
• Normally burnt by wild fires
Open burning of plastic waste 96
19
100
0
50
24
0
93
5
100
13
58
31
11
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Burn Burry Reuse Recycle Dispose in
Pit
Dispose in
backyard
Sell
%Households
MANAGEMENT STRATEGY
Zikhotheni Zombode Emuva
Adopted plastic waste management practices in Zikhotheni and Zombodze Emuva
28
7
39
0
15
11
0
33
2
35
5
11 11
4
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Burn Burry Reuse Recycle Throw in
Pit
Throw in
backyard
Sell
%HOUSEHOLDS
MANAGEMENT STRATEGY
Zikhotheni Zombode Emuva
Most prioritized management strategy by different households

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Reuse of plastics to store
ingredients
Reuse of plastic bags to store
meet in a deep freezer
Backyard waste pit
Plastic waste at the backyard of homesteads Recommended Plastic Waste Management Practices
Conclusion
•Rural households of Eswatini generates both the
safest (LDPE, HDPE, PP) and the dangerous plastic
types (PVC, PS, EPS).
•Substantial amount of plastic waste is generated.
•No specific or authorized way of managing plastic
waste.
•Traditional methods of managing waste are in
practice.
•Reuse is very common, and recycling practice
starting.