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“EXCELLENCE THROUGH KNOWLEDGE” P A G E 30 A Solid Waste Management Plan for Semi-Urban Communities of Kingston, Jamaica with a Special Focus on Composting Carol Archer 1 & Terese McLean 1 Faculty of the Built Environment Wastesareapartof life.Theyareproducedasby-productsofagricultural, industrial, commercial and domestic activities. Uncontrolled dumping and improper waste handling causes a variety of problems, including contaminating water, attracting insects and rodents, and flooding due to blocked drainage canals of gullies. In addition, it may result in safety hazards or explosions. Improper waste management also increases greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which contribute to climate change. Planning for and implementing a comprehensive programme for waste collection, transportation, and disposal – along with activities to prevent or reduce the amount of waste generated – can help to control these problems. In Jamaica, the management of all forms of waste poses a significant challenge and carries with it an variety of environmental problems. The island’s population at the end of 1999 was estimated at 2 590 400. Using this population estimate and the calculated annual generation rate of 0.365 tonnes per person, the islands total annual generated waste was estimated at approximately 945 496 tonnes. For Kingston and St. Andrew the waste generated was calculated at 259 588 tonnes (Demographic Report, STATIN 1999). It is estimated that as much as 70% of the solid waste generated is biodegradable and therefore is suitable for composting, (Handbook on Environmental Stewardship 2001, p. 91). The study area, St. Andrew, is located in the hills to the northwest of the capital city of Kingston. Here the dominant land use is residential. The topography of St. Andrew is one of hilly undulating terrain. The residential pattern is mainly linear with several hillside communities. The continuing growth of Kingston on the coastal plains has resulted in the surrounding hills of Kingston becoming a prime location for low-density residential development. Increases in the development of residential units have also increased the need for proper waste management practices. High levels of inaccessibility, resulting from the steep sloping undulating terrain, narrow winding roads, and road conditions, limit the level of collection done by the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA). Many residents have developed alternatives for disposing of their waste, through illegal practices of dumping (done mainly in valleys, which directly affects watersheds and their diverse ecosystems); burning (done on sidewalks, vacant lots and in discarded Carol Archer