A SURVEY OF FINANCIAL AND NON-FINANCIAL BENEFITS OF SMES' SUSTAINABLE WASTE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN NIGERIA

Small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) have been the major driver for job creation and financial benefits in the growth and development of the private sector economy. The objectives of the study were to determine the extent to which non-financial and financial benefits on the mediating practices of sustainable waste management by SMEs, the awareness level of sustainable waste management practices, the relationship between the environmental laws and sustainable waste management practices, and the relationship between the awareness of the hazard of unmanaged waste and sustainable waste management practices by SMEs. The ex post facto research design and the purposive sampling technique were used to evaluate the population size of the SMEs across the six selected states in the six geopolitical zones, including the FCT, Abuja. A total of 29,382 copies of questionnaires at a default number of 4,197 copies were administered per state. The descriptive statistics of frequency, percentage, standard deviation, and cross tabulation, and Spearman's rank correlation techniques were used to analyze the data obtained. The results indicate a strong positive correlation between the benefits of SMEs and a strong positive relationship between financial benefits and the adoption of sustainable waste management practices. While the non-financial benefits had a positive impact on the company's image and reputation as the recognized outcomes of sustainable waste management practices. The study concludes that there is a moderate level of awareness among SMEs regarding the hazards of unmanaged waste, and recommends that the government implement comprehensive education and training programs for SMEs to enhance awareness of sustainable waste management practices.