Evaluation of household solid waste drivers, characteristics, management and its implications for sustainable environmental quality in Iwo, Nigeria

Effective household solid waste management remains a critical challenge in many rapidly urbanising Nigerian towns, with significant implications for environmental quality and public health. This study assessed the drivers, characteristics, and management of household solid waste in Iwo, Nigeria, with a view to understanding their sustainability implications. A stratified sampling approach was adopted, using political divisions as strata to ensure representative coverage, while systematic sampling was conducted along residential streets within each stratum. Where a household declined participation, the next accessible household was selected. Using this approach, 636 households were surveyed with structured questionnaires, and the data were analysed using descriptive statistics and factor analysis to identify key determinants of waste generation and management practices. The findings revealed that organic and food waste dominate household waste streams, averaging 1.5 rice sacks per household per week, whereas plastics, paper, and packaging materials were less prevalent. Factor analysis extracted four principal components explaining 70.1% of total variance, namely household consumption patterns (RCM = 85.3%; eigenvalue = 2.615), social events and festivities (RCM = 72.5%; eigenvalue = 1.927), seasonal variations (RCM = 81.7%; eigenvalue = 1.232), and sources of household consumables (RCM = 90.9%; eigenvalue = 1.214). Waste management practices were largely informal, with households relying on community dumping points, itinerant collectors, and limited municipal services. Economic incentives, particularly the sale of recyclables, motivated 49.1% of respondents, while environmental awareness and regulatory compliance accounted for less than 5%. In addition, spatial and infrastructural constraints, including blocked drainage channels and semi-urban expansion, exacerbated flooding and vector-borne disease risks. These findings align with the Waste Management Hierarchy Theory and the Pressure–State–Response Framework, demonstrating that household behaviours both drive and respond to environmental pressures. The study therefore underscores the need to expand formal waste management services, integrate informal actors, promote household recycling and composting, and improve drainage infrastructure to enhance environmental quality and sustainability in Iwo.