Unpacking Public Value Destruction through Solid Waste Management: A Case Study of Pakistan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55737/qjssh.vi-i.25309Keywords:
Solid Waste Management, Public Value, Health, Economic and Environmental Sustainable Issues, AccountabilityAbstract
The management of solid waste from its collection to disposal is a widespread issue all around the world. This is a stinging issue in the rural and urban areas of the developing and developed states of the world. The mismanagement in Pakistan in the context of solid waste is required to be recognized because it is not only affecting the health of the public but also affecting the health of the environment. Therefore, this study conducts qualitative research methodology and conducted interviews with mega cities’ solid waste management officials and waste pickers, for analyzing uses Grounded theory through the lens of thematic analysis to highlight how public value is being destroyed by the mismanagement of solid waste in Pakistan. This study inspects and critically analyzes the effects of corruption, mismanagement, lawlessness, lack of accountability, budgetary issues, health, environmental and social inequalities issues, and no proper methods for the disposal of solid waste as the major causes that are destroying public value. The study emphasizes the significance of community awareness and active public participation in enhancing solid waste management practices. It also emphasizes the need for robust institutional frameworks and stricter enforcement of regulations to mitigate the risks associated with improper waste management. Moreover, the need for combined efforts by policymakers as well as governments, communities, and all relevant stakeholders is highlighted in the research to address the issue of sole waste management in developing states. To achieve a sustainable model for solid waste management that is able to protect the environment and public health, it is important to promote recycling, increase public awareness as well as improve waste segregation.
References
Ahmad, Z. & Esposito, P. (2022). The Influence Of Greenwash On Green Purchase Intentions; The Mediating Role Of Green Brand Loyalty. In 15th Annual Conference of the EuroMed Academy of Business.
Ahmad, Z. (2024). CRITICAL APPRAISAL OF SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: MYTHS AND CHALLENGES. International Journal of Advanced Research, 12(10), 622–636. https://doi.org/10.21474/ijar01/19680
Ahmad, Z. (2024). Current Trends and Pressing Issues of Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries with Special Reference to Pakistan. Quantic Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 5(3), 241–248. https://doi.org/10.55737/qjssh.330997556
Ahmad, Z., & Esposito, P. (2022). GOOD GOVERNANCE AND CITIZENS’TRUST IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: A RESEARCH NOTE FROM PAKISTAN. In 15th Annual Conference of the EuroMed Academy of Business.
Ahmad, Z., & Esposito, P. (2024). EU Recovery Plans and Digitalization in Public Value Creation: An Exploratory Research in European Countries. Qlantic Journal of Social Sciences., 5(3), 270–279. https://doi.org/10.55737/qjss.579187562
Ahmad, Z., & Esposito, P.(2022) THE IMPACT OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES ON EMPLOYEES’GREEN BEHAVIOR: THE MODERATING ROLE OF ORGANIZATIONAL TRUST. In 15th Annual Conference of the EuroMed Academy of Business.
Ahmed, S., Mahmood, Q., Elahi, N., & Nawab, B. (2020). Current practices and futuristic options in plastic waste management in Pakistan. Central Asian Journal of Environmental Science and Technology Innovation, 1(4), 237–244. https://doi.org/10.22034/cajesti.2020.04.06
Akmal, T., & Jamil, F. (2021). Assessing health damages from improper disposal of solid waste in metropolitan Islamabad–Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Sustainability, 13(5), 2717. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13052717
Ali, M., & Ahmad, Z. (2024). Weighty matters: Exploring the economic ramifications of obesity, abdominal bloating, and spinal deformities in Pakistan. sjesr, 7(1), 20-29. https://doi.org/10.36902/sjesr-vol7-iss1-2024(20-29)
Ali, M., & Kuroiwa, C. (2009). Status and challenges of hospital solid waste management: Case studies from Thailand, Pakistan, and Mongolia. Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management, 11(3), 251-257. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-009-0238-4
Ali, M., Ameer, W., Ahmad, Z., Aljounaidi, A., & Atiek, A. (2024). Exploring the quality of care and the nursing practice environment in Saudi Arabia. Qlantic Journal of Social Sciences, 5(4), 182-196. https://doi.org/10.55737/qjss.v-iv.24095
Ali, M., Naeem, M. W., Ahmed, Z., & Iftikhar, M. H. (2023). Stagnate Economic Analysis of Regime Change & Administration shuffling Impact on Pakistan economy. Pakistan Journal of Economic Studies (PJES), 6(1), 1-19. https://journals.iub.edu.pk/index.php/pjes/article/view/1556
Aljounaidi, A., Ali, M., Ahmad, Z., Atiek, A. H., & Khan, I. H. (2023). Knowledge and awareness of Zakah among the people of Pakistan: Implications for Islamic economics. Qlantic Journal of Social Sciences, 4(4), 346-356. https://doi.org/10.55737/qjss.533988046
Aslam, S., Ali, F., Naseer, A., & Sheikh, Z. (2022). Application of material flow analysis for the assessment of current municipal solid waste management in Karachi, Pakistan. Waste Management & Research: The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy, 40(2), 185-194. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734242x211000427
Atta, U., Hussain, M., & Malik, R. N. (2020). Environmental impact assessment of municipal solid waste management value chain: A case study from Pakistan. Waste Management & Research: The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy, 38(12), 1379-1388. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734242x20942595
Autio, E., Kenney, M., Mustar, P., Siegel, D., & Wright, M. (2014). Entrepreneurial innovation: The importance of context. Research policy, 43(7), 1097-1108.
Batool, S. A., & Chuadhry, M. N. (2009). The impact of municipal solid waste treatment methods on greenhouse gas emissions in Lahore, Pakistan. Waste Management, 29(1), 63-69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2008.01.013
Belgrave, L. L., & Seide, K. (2019). Coding for grounded theory. The SAGE handbook of current developments in grounded theory, 167-185.
Bengtsson, T. T., & Andersen, D. (2020). Narrative analysis: Thematic, structural and performative. Qualitative Analysis: Eight Approaches for the Social Sciences; Järvinen, M., Mik-Meyer, N., Eds, 265-282.
Birks, M., Hoare, K., & Mills, J. (2019). Grounded theory: the FAQs. International journal of qualitative methods, 18, 1609406919882535.
Bowen, G. A. (2008). Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9(2), 27-40. https://doi.org/10.3316/qrj0902027
Butler-Kisber, L. (2018). Qualitative inquiry: Thematic, narrative and arts-based perspectives. Sage.
Charmaz, K. (2021). Constructing Grounded Theory. Sage.
Chun Tie, Y., Birks, M., & Francis, K. (2019). Grounded theory research: A design framework for novice researchers. SAGE Open Medicine, 7. https://doi.org/10.1177/2050312118822927
Corlett, S., & Mavin, S. (2018). Reflexivity and researcher positionality. The SAGE handbook of qualitative business and management research methods, 377-399.
Coyne, I. T. (1997). Sampling in qualitative research. Purposeful and theoretical sampling; merging or clear boundaries? Journal of Advanced Nursing, 26(3), 623-630. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2648.1997.t01-25-00999.x
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2016). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Sage publications.
Dempsey, L., Dowling, M., Larkin, P., & Murphy, K. (2016). Sensitive interviewing in qualitative research. Research in Nursing & Health, 39(6), 480-490. https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.21743
Douglas, D. (2003). Grounded theories of management: A methodological review. Management Research News, 26(5), 44-52. https://doi.org/10.1108/01409170310783466
Eisner, E. W. (2023). The new frontier in qualitative research methodology. Qualitative inquiry, 3(3), 259-273. https://doi.org/10.1177/107780049700300301
Esposito, P., Ahmad, Z., Riso, V., & Mustafa, N. (2023). Beyond the business case? Retracing the walk of Corporate social responsibility and financial performance relationship in the Oil and Gas sector. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 31(3), 2211-2224. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.2676
Fadhullah, W., Imran, N. I., Ismail, S. N., Jaafar, M. H., & Abdullah, H. (2022). Household solid waste management practices and perceptions among residents in the East Coast of Malaysia. BMC Public Health, 22(1), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-12274-7
Flick, U. (2015). Qualitative Inquiry—2.0 at 20? Developments, trends, and challenges for the politics of research. Qualitative Inquiry, 21(7), 599-608. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077800415583296
Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (1967). The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research. Aldine Publishing Company.
Gorra, A., & Kornilaki, M. (2010). Grounded theory: experiences of two studies with a focus on axial coding and the use of the NVivo qualitative analysis software. Methodology: Innovative approaches to research, 1, 30-32.
Guerrero, L. A., Maas, G., & Hogland, W. (2013). Solid waste management challenges for cities in developing countries. Waste Management, 33(1), 220-232. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2012.09.008
Haider, A., Amber, A., Ammara, S., Mahrukh, K. S., & Aisha, B. (2015). Knowledge, perception and attitude of common people towards solid waste management-A case study of Lahore, Pakistan. International Research Journal of Environment Sciences, 4(3), 100-107. https://www.isca.me/IJENS/Archive/v4/i3/14.ISCA-IRJEvS-2015-002.pdf
Hainmueller, J., Hangartner, D., & Yamamoto, T. (2015). Validating vignette and conjoint survey experiments against real-world behavior. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(8), 2395-2400. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1416587112
Hashmi, M. Z., & Varma, A. (2019). Electronic Waste Pollution. Springer
Higginbottom, G. M. A. (2004). Sampling issues in qualitative research. Nurse Researcher (through 2013), 12(1), 7.
Hoornweg, D., & Bhada-Tata, P. (2012). "What a waste: A global review of solid waste management." World Bank Urban Development Series Knowledge Papers, 15.
Ilmas, B., Mir, K. A., & Khalid, S. (2018). Greenhouse gas emissions from the waste sector: A case study of Rawalpindi in Pakistan. Carbon Management, 9(6), 645-654. https://doi.org/10.1080/17583004.2018.1530025
Iqbal, A., Abdullah, Y., Nizami, A. S., Sultan, I. A., & Sharif, F. (2022). Assessment of solid waste management system in Pakistan and sustainable model from environmental and economic perspective. Sustainability, 14(19), 12680. https://doi.org/10.3390/su141912680
Iqbal, M., Breivik, K., Syed, J. H., Malik, R. N., Li, J., Zhang, G., & Jones, K. C. (2015). Emerging issue of E-wastE in Pakistan: A review of status, research needs and data gaps. Environmental Pollution, 207, 308-318. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2015.09.002
Isaacs, A. (2014). An overview of qualitative research methodology for public health researchers. International Journal of Medicine and Public Health, 4(4), 318. https://doi.org/10.4103/2230-8598.144055
Jamshed, S. (2014). Qualitative research method-interviewing and observation. Journal of Basic and Clinical Pharmacy, 5(4), 87. https://doi.org/10.4103/0976-0105.141942
Joiya, S. A., Danish, M. H., Ahmad, Z., & Ijaz, H. (2023). Unveiling the shadows: Understanding social and demographic awareness of migrant smuggling in Pakistan. Qlantic Journal of Social Sciences, 4(4), 285-296. https://doi.org/10.55737/qjss.794632661
Khan, M. S., Ahmad, Z., & Khan, F. (2021). The effects of green human resource management practices on sustainable performance: the mediating role of green climat and green employee empowerment. Turkish Online Journal of Qualitative Inquiry, 12(10).
Korai, M. S., Mahar, R. B., & Uqaili, M. A. (2017). The feasibility of municipal solid waste for energy generation and its existing management practices in Pakistan. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 72, 338-353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2017.01.051
Lambert, M. (2019). Grounded theory. Practical Research Methods in Education, 132-141. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351188395-13
Mahar, A., Malik, R. N., Qadir, A., Ahmed, T., Khan, Z., & Khan, M. A. (2019). Review and analysis of current solid waste management situation in urban areas of Pakistan. In Proceedings of the international conference on sustainable solid waste management (Vol. 8, p. 36). Citeseer.
Mahar, A., Malik, R. N., Qadir, A., Ahmed, T., Khan, Z., & Khan, M. A. (2007, September). Review and analysis of current solid waste management situation in urban areas of Pakistan. In Proceedings of the international conference on sustainable solid waste management (Vol. 8, No. 12, pp. 36-52). Citeseer.
Masood, M., Barlow, C. Y., & Wilson, D. C. (2014). An assessment of the current municipal solid waste management system in Lahore, Pakistan. Waste Management & Research: The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy, 32(9), 834-847. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734242x14545373
McAllum, K., Fox, S., Simpson, M., & Unson, C. (2019). A comparative tale of two methods: How thematic and narrative analyses author the data story differently. Communication Research and Practice, 5(4), 358-375. https://doi.org/10.1080/22041451.2019.1677068
Mohajan, D., & Mohajan, H. K. (2022). Development of grounded theory in social sciences: A qualitative approach. Studies in Social Science & Humanities, 1(5), 13-24. https://doi.org/10.56397/sssh.2022.12.02
MOHAJAN, H. K. (2018). Qualitative research methodology in social sciences and related subjects. Journal of Economic Development, Environment and People, 7(1), 23-48. https://doi.org/10.26458/jedep.v7i1.571
Moore, M. H. (1995). Creating Public Value: Strategic Management in Government. Harvard University Press.
Naderifar, M., Goli, H., & Ghaljaie, F. (2017). Snowball sampling: A purposeful method of sampling in qualitative research. Strides in Development of Medical Education, 14(3). https://doi.org/10.5812/sdme.67670
Naeem, M. W., Ahmad, A., & Xavier, V. B. (2023). Institutional response in insurance regulations amid COVID-19 and its impacts in EU and Pakistan. Scandic Journal Of Advanced Research And Reviews, 3(3), 041-065. https://doi.org/10.55966/sjarr.2022.3.3.0056
Næss, P., Peters, S., Stefansdottir, H., & Strand, A. (2018). Causality, not just correlation: Residential location, transport rationales and travel behavior across metropolitan contexts. Journal of Transport Geography, 69, 181-195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2018.04.003
Nanda, S., & Berruti, F. (2020). Municipal solid waste management and landfilling technologies: A review. Environmental Chemistry Letters, 19(2), 1433-1456. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-020-01100-y
Noy, C. (2008). Sampling knowledge: The hermeneutics of snowball sampling in qualitative research. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 11(4), 327-344. https://doi.org/10.1080/13645570701401305
Oktay, J. S. (2012). Grounded theory. Oxford University Press.
Oun, M. A., & Bach, C. (2014). Qualitative research method summary. Qualitative Research, 1(5), 252-258. https://www.jmest.org/wp-content/uploads/JMESTN42350250.pdf
Posch, C., Sanlorenzo, M., Ma, J., Kim, S. T., Zekhtser, M., & Ortiz-Urda, S. (2018). MEK/CDK4, 6 co-targeting is effective in a subset of NRAS, BRAF and ‘wild type’melanomas. Oncotarget, 9(79), 34990. https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.26204
Qazi, M. A., Akram, M., Ahmad, N., Artiola, J. F., & Tuller, M. (2009). Economical and environmental implications of solid waste compost applications to agricultural fields in Punjab, Pakistan. Waste Management, 29(9), 2437-2445.
Ryan, F., Coughlan, M., & Cronin, P. (2009). Interviewing in qualitative research: The one-to-one interview. International journal of therapy and rehabilitation, 16(6), 309-314. https://doi.org/10.12968/ijtr.2009.16.6.42433
Sakai, S., Sawell, S., Chandler, A., Eighmy, T., Kosson, D., Vehlow, J., Van der Sloot, H., Hartlén, J., & Hjelmar, O. (1996). World terends in municipal solid waste management. Waste Management, 16(5-6), 341-350. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0956-053x(96)00106-7
Scott, W. R. (2004). Institutional theory contributing to Atheoretical research program. Great Minds in Management, 460-484. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780199276813.003.0022
Sebastian, K. (2019). Distinguishing between the strains grounded theory: Classical, interpretive and constructivist. Journal for Social Thought, 3(1). https://ojs.lib.uwo.ca/index.php/jst/article/view/4116
Snyder, C. (2012). A case study of a case study: Analysis of a robust qualitative research methodology. Qualitative Report, 17, 26.
Sosa-Díaz, M. J., & Valverde-Berrocoso, J. (2022). Grounded theory as a research methodology in educational technology. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 21, https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069221133228
Suri, H. (2011). Purposeful sampling in qualitative research synthesis. Qualitative research journal, 11(2), 63-75.
Troschinetz, A. M., & Mihelcic, J. R. (2009). Sustainable recycling of municipal solid waste in developing countries. Waste Management, 29(2), 915-923. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2008.04.016
Turner, C., & Astin, F. (2021). Grounded theory: What makes a grounded theory study? European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 20(3), 285-289. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjcn/zvaa034
Vaismoradi, M., Turunen, H., & Bondas, T. (2013). Content analysis and thematic analysis: Implications for conducting a qualitative descriptive study. Nursing & Health Sciences, 15(3), 398-405. https://doi.org/10.1111/nhs.12048
Vázquez Carranza, A. (2016). Evading and resisting answering: an analysis of Mexican Spanish news interviews. Pragmatics and Society, 7(4), 570-594. https://doi.org/10.1075/ps.7.4.03car
Vollstedt, M., & Rezat, S. (2021). An introduction to grounded theory with a special focus on axial coding and the coding paradigm. ICME-13 Monographs, 13(1), 81-100. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15636-7_4
Wilson, D. C., Velis, C., & Cheeseman, C. (2006). Role of informal sector recycling in waste management in developing countries. Habitat International, 30(4), 797-808. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2005.09.005
Zhu, D., Asnani, P. U., Zurbrugg, C., Anapolsky, S., & Mani, S. K. (2007). Improving municipal solid waste management in India. https://doi.org/10.1596/978-0-8213-7361-3
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Dr. Zubair Ahmad, Dr. Poalo Esposito, Dr. Muhammad Ali

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.