ABSTRACT
Maxixe is the largest city and economic capital of the province of Inhambane, Mozambique, with a population of 121,097 inhabitants. Maxixe town is divided in urban, sub-urban and rural area for 20.3%, 35.6% and 44.1% respectively. The absence of proper waste management (Figure 1) in Maxixe District (Mozambique) is a common issue that has to be faced, like in many other African countries (Hoornweg and Bhada-Tata, 2012). Usually waste are abandoned along the streets in the center of the city or are often burned directly inside the municipal street container in order to empty them, reducing the waste volume. As stated by Cointreau (2006), lack of proper waste management, especially concerning the organic frac-
tion of municipal solid waste (OFMSW), causes health risks for the population due to proliferation of disease carrying vectors (rats, mosquitoes, flies, birds, etc.), direct contact with waste (mainly for children and waste pickers), air pollution through indiscriminate burning, blocking of drains and flooding, water and soil pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
