Valorisation of Biodegradable Solid Waste as a Lever for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Yangambi City, DR Congo

Solid waste management is a major environmental challenge in the Yangambi region. The accumulation of waste in landfills, garbage bins, and disposal sites promotes anaerobic decomposition, a process that releases gases such as methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2). A survey was conducted on a randomly selected seven households per axes across five axes roads (35 households). Collected data were processed using Microsoft Excel 2016 and the R software. The results showed that 48% of the surveyed households dispose of their waste in the DR Congo river. While 18.5% buried in their plots of land; and 17% incinerate it. 9.5% threw their waste in the streets and 7% threw it in gutters. Results of waste composition recorded 48.2% organic matter; 25% plastic bags; 14.3% inert waste; 10% paper and cardboard; and 2.5% belonging to the category of other waste. 60% of households’ aware of the harmful effects of waste on biodiversity and human health, while 40% unaware. Regarding community involvement in the various waste management processes, opinions are divided: 75% declare that the population is involved; 16% don’t know if the population is involved or not; and 9% of households say that the population is not involved.