This study was conducted in Mbeya City Council to examine the effectiveness of the community approach in solid waste management at household and street levels. It aimed to identify the roles played by the community in the management of solid waste, the impact of the community involvement in the management of solid waste, factors affecting community participation in the management of solid waste and stakeholders’ views in improvement of the solid waste management. The study adopted a case study design, targeting the household and street levels in Mbeya City Council. A sample size of 65 respondents was drawn using purposive and systematic random sampling techniques. Questionnaires, interviews and observation were used to collect primary data while documentary review method was used to collect secondary data. Data collected were analyzed by using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Excel software and presented in tables, figures, and text. The findings revealed that the community approach in solid waste management at household and street level in Mbeya City Council is partially effective in consideration of Ghana, Mwakibete and Igawilo wards where 80 percent of the respondents are participating in collecting solid waste in waste bins at household level and then send them to the communal container (collection points) ready to be collected to the dump site, it is less effective at street level where only 20 percent of the respondents were paying for solid waste collection fee thus accumulation of solid waste at collection points. This has contributed to poor service provision on solid waste management by the city council. The study recommended that, education should continue to be given to the community so that they will understand the benefit to be obtained when solid wastes are well managed; urban local authorities should make faster decisions in involving community based organizations (CBOs) and private investors to help them in the solid waste provision services. Also enforce the existing bylaws so that everyone who generated waste has to manage them by having containers at their locality for collecting the solid waste and pay waste collection fee at street level thus reduced load to the city and ensure effective management at household and street level.

A Dissertation Submitted to the Institute of Development Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Master of Science Degree in Environmental Management (MSc. EM) of Mzumbe University.