Office Waste Management and Sustainable Development in Tertiary Institutions in Ekiti State, Nigeria

Abstract

Organizations often operate without recourse to the intricate factors responsible for development.  In the case of academic institutions, development is cumulatively driven by the economic, social, political and physical environment as well as the capacities of the people and their aspirations for a better life. These intricately combine to characterize the entire social-economy system within which development thrives. This paper reviews waste management practises as its impacts sustainable development in tertiary institution in Ekiti State. Guided by three research questions, the study examined perceived causes of the intractable waste disposal problem and possible solutions to reduce office waste and properly disposed inevitable ones. This paper adopted the use of questionnaire as a base for its primary source of data.  The data collected from respondents were analyzed using simple percentage method.  Three Hundred (300) questionnaires copies were administered to respondents which comprise selected staffs of the tertiary institution in Ekiti State, out of which Two Hundred and Ninety (290) of the questionnaires were returned for processing. It was found that, waste disposal habits of staffs and students, work attitude, inadequate plants and equipment among others are militating against effective waste management and by extension, sustainable development in the institutions.  Based on the findings, it was concluded that despite the fact that illegal communal waste dumps indiscriminately located in public places have been officially cancelled, yet several illegal refuse collection points were indiscriminately created by staff and students.  It was therefore recommended that action plans for proper waste management should be put in place by relevant authorities and sensitization of members of the campus community to the need for informed waste disposal should be given top priority.