Managing the organic municipal waste in Palestine: Linking policy, practice, and stakeholders’ attitude toward composting

Figures & data

Figure 1. Organic waste management framework.

Figure 2. SWOT analysis to explore strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in the study area.

Figure 3. Description of the LAs in the study area.

Table 1. Economic and environmental factors and their role in determining the attitude of LAs toward composting of organic SW in the study area.

Variable Description	Planning to compost organic fraction of MSW		Significance (P-Value)
	Yes No. (%)	NO No. (%)
Financial factors
Debts on the local authority			.459
Yes	21 (33.9)	41 (66.1)
NO	9 (42.9)	12 (57.1)
The monthly cost of SW disposal (NIS)			.056
≤5,000.0	20 (41.7)	28 (58.3)
5,001.0–10,000.0	4 (40.0)	6 (60.0)
10,001–20,000.0	0 (0.0)	10 (100.0)
20,001–30,000.0	1 (20.0)	4 (80.0)
> 30,000.0	5 (62.5)	3 (37.5)
Household tariff (NIS)			.110
10 – 20/household/month	20 (40.0)	30 (60.0)
21 – 30/household/month	3 (15.8)	16 (84.2)
2 – 3/capita/month	4 (50.0)	4 (50.0)
Fee collection rate			.180
≤20%	3 (37.5)	5 (62.5)
21–40%	9 (60.0)	6 (40.0)
41–60%	9 (42.9)	12 (57.1)
61–80%	3 (25.0)	9 (75.0)
81–100%	6 (24.0)	19 (76.0)
Having the financial capacity to conduct composting
Yes	4 (50.0)	4 (50.0)	.012*
Yes, but limited capacity	14 (58.3)	10 (41.7)
NO	13 (24.5)	40 (75.5)
Receiving financial support from the government to develop SWM, such as waste reduction through composting
Yes	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)	.565
Sometimes	2 (50.0)	2 (50.0)
NO	29 (35.8)	52 (64.2)
Environmental Factors
Perception of compost contribution to reducing the environmental pollution			.117
Yes	31 (38.8)	49 (61.3)
NO	0 (0.0)	4 (100.0)
Perception of compost contribution to reducing SW generation			.197
Yes	28 (38.9)	44 (61.1)
Don’t know	2 (28.6)	5 (71.4)
NO	0 (0.0)	5 (100.0)

*Significant at P ≤ .05.

Table 2. Role of resources, technical and technological factors toward shaping the LAs’ attitudes toward organic SW composting.

Factor Description	Planning to compost organic fraction of MSW		Significance (P-Value)
	Yes No. (%)	NO No. (%)
Having proper machinery to conduct composting			.007**
Yes	4 (100.0)	0 (0.0)
NO	27 (33.3)	54 (66.7)
Having enough RCVs to collect SW fractions, separately
Yes	4 (100.0)	0 (0.0)	.006**
NO	26 (32.5)	54 (67.5)
Having an appropriate area of land to use for composting			.001**
Yes	20 (57.1)	15 (42.9)
NO	11 (22.0)	39 (78.0)
Having enough financial resources to employ modern technology in SW composting			.714
Yes	3 (42.9)	4 (57.1)
NO	28 (35.9)	50 (64.1)
Familiarity with composting systems			.007**
Yes	15 (57.7)	11 (42.3)
NO	16 (27.1)	43 (72.9)
Staff having previous experience in compost production			.037*
Yes	9 (60.0)	6 (40.0)
NO	22 (31)	48 (68.6)
Monthly SW quantity generated (tons)			.633
≤20	6 (40.0)	9 (60.0)
21–50	6 (35.3)	11 (64.7)
51–100	2 (40.0)	3 (60.0)
101–200	6 (42.9)	8 (57.1)
201–400	4 (30.8)	9 (69.2)
401–600	0 (0.0)	5 (100.0)
˃600	6 (50.0)	6 (50.0)

*Significant at P ≤ .05, **significant at P ≤ .01.

Table 3. Role of innovation, marketing, institutional and social factor in shaping the attitude of LAs toward organic SW composting.

Factor Description	Planning to compost organic fraction of MSW		Significance (P-Value)
	Yes No. (%)	NO No. (%)
Innovation factor
Acceptance of the new rapid composting system			.036*
Yes	31 (39.7)	47 (60.3)
NO	0 (0.0)	7 (100.0)
Marketing factor
Believe in a good market for compost produced from municipal SW in Palestine.			.294
Yes	24 (41.4)	34 (58.6)
Don’t know	6 (30.0)	14 (70.0)
NO	1 (14.3)	6 (85.7)
Institutional Factors
Staff training in compost production			.018*
Yes	9 (64.3)	5 (35.7)
NO	22 (31.0)	49 (69.0)
Familiarity with SWM bylaw			.818
Yes	14 (37.8)	23 (62.2)
NO	17 (35.4)	31 (64.6)
Believe that SW composting is within the LA’s responsibility.			.005**
Yes	24 (49.0)	25 (51.0)
NO	7 (19.4)	29 (80.6)
Social factors
Having conducting community awareness on organic waste composting			.250
Yes	12 (44.4)	15 (55.6)
NO	18 (31.6)	39 (68.4)
Believe in the participation of the residents through sorting of organic waste at the source if the LA decided to start composting program.			0.157
Yes	16 (44.4)	20 (55.6)
Yes, but partially	14 (31.8)	30 (68.2)
NO	0 (0.0)	4 (100.0)
Believe in farmers’ acceptance to use compost produced from municipal SW in agriculture.			.615
Yes	28 (38.9)	44 (61.1)
Don’t know	2 (22.2)	7 (77.8)
NO	1 (33.3)	2 (66.7)

*Significant at P ≤ .05; **significant at P ≤ .01.

Data availability statement

The data used to support the findings of this study are available upon request from the corresponding author.