Abstract:This paper estimated the household solid waste (HSW) generation and composition in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The study also determined the socio-economic factors influencing the waste generation of the households in the city by using Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression. For this effect, a stratified random sampling methodology was used, resulting in the selection of 665 sample households for this study. The applied methodology resulted in a composition of HSW: organic waste (72,6%), plastic (8,7%), glass (2,4%), metals (1,7%), paper and cardboard (6,6%),fabrics (2,5%), dust and ashes (2,9%) and other residues, such as hazardous and electronics (2,6%). This study suggests new insights concerning the role of socioeconomic characteristics and its effects in the generation of household waste and waste composition in Guayaquil, Ecuador. |