Smart Decentralized Waste Management and Composting Systems

Rapid urbanization in Lusaka has sharply increased municipal waste generation, placing significant strain on the city’s landfill-oriented collection system. Chunga Landfill, the primary disposal site, now operates beyond its designed capacity, leading to open dumping, frequent fires, drainage blockages, and leachate contamination.

These challenges exacerbate urban flooding, degrade air quality, and contribute to recurrent cholera and other public-health outbreaks. Similar issues have been observed in cities such as Gwalior, India, where inefficient source segregation, long transport distances, and reliance on centralized disposal systems reduce the efficiency of municipal waste management.

Despite the severity of these problems, there is a paucity of research in the Zambian context investigating alternative, decentralized approaches that can complement existing centralized infrastructure. This study aims to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of decentralized waste management solutions in Lusaka, focusing on the potential for community-level segregation stations, small-scale composters, and sensor-enabled collection points to improve waste-handling efficiency and reduce environmental and health risks. Using a mixed-method approach, the research integrates expert interviews with quantitative analysis of Lusaka’s waste composition to evaluate the suitability, scalability, and potential impact of localized processing systems.

Findings indicate that decentralized composting could divert 40–55% of organic waste from Chunga Landfill, reduce collection frequency, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and mitigate public-health hazards.

By addressing the gap in knowledge regarding localized waste management interventions in Zambia, this study contributes practical insights for sustainable urban waste governance and policy development.