Prevalence of Household Waste Segregation, Collection Infrastructure, and Community Practices: Urban-Rural Disparities from Eastern India - Linking Action to Policy.

BACKGROUND

Household waste segregation and collection infrastructure are foundational to environmental sanitation and infection prevention. Evidence on prevalence patterns and policy translation from eastern India remains limited.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

A community-based mixed-methods descriptive study was conducted among 219 households (urban = 110; rural = 109) in eastern India. Quantitative data were collected using interviewer-administered questionnaires and observational checklists assessing segregation practices, storage systems, and collection infrastructure after pilot validation. Waste quantification was undertaken in a subsample using color-coded bag weighing. Urban-rural comparisons were analyzed using Chi-square tests and independent t -tests, whereas thematic analysis was applied qualitatively.

RESULTS

Overall segregation compliance was significantly higher in urban households. Use of dustbins for kitchen waste was 75% in urban areas compared with 65% in rural areas ( P < 0.001), whereas indiscriminate dumping was reported exclusively in rural households (20%). Formal municipal collection coverage was substantially greater in urban settlements, whereas rural households relied on roadside dumping, burning, and informal disposal systems. Rural households generated significantly higher organic waste (2.38 ± 0.60 kg/day vs. 1.38 ± 0.50 kg/day; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Marked urban-rural disparities exist in household waste segregation and collection infrastructure. Strengthening decentralized waste systems, behavior change communication, and municipal outreach is essential. Integrating segregation monitoring into national sanitation missions and primary health platforms can translate household action into policy-responsive environmental health gains.