Embracing clean waste-to-energy solutions in Sub-Saharan Africa: A countrified residential perspective

This study explores the adoption of Waste to Energy (WTE) as a panacea to waste management challenges by assessing whether rural households will embrace WTE solutions while ascertaining the determinants of residents’ subscriptions to WTE. Simple random sampling was employed in selecting respondents, while stratified sampling was employed in reaching respondents in the old town and new t site. The study found that 66% of the respondents were willing to subscribe to WTE technologies, while 59 (34%) were reluctant to subscribe to the technology even if it was readily available. Respondents willing to subscribe were motivated by the thought that WTE technology would help reduce waste-related diseases and improve waste management. The three paramount reasons why some respondents were unwilling to subscribe to WTE technologies are that the technology might come with charges, the technology has no personal benefit, and the respondents were not convinced about WTE technology. From the logistic regression, the determinants of residents’ willingness to subscribe to WTE technologies were established as age, education, income, waste sorting practice, and the perception of WTE as a panacea. The findings of this study have important implications for community engagement in waste and energy projects. Thus, the study recommends a pre-requisite for close community engagement for every community-level project, including WTE projects. • Environmental awareness is a requirement for modeling waste-to-energy solutions in rural areas. • Rural residents are willing to subscribe to waste management services. • Majority, 66% of the rural households perceive WTE as a panacea for waste management, and the same quota is willing to subscribe to WTE technology. • Socio-economic factors such as age, education, and income significantly influence rural folks’ willingness to subscribe to waste management services.