Greening the Garage: Investigating Sustainable Waste Management Awareness and Practice among Kano Motor Vehicle Mechanics Garage Operators

The informal automotive sector plays a vital economic and service role in Nigeria’s urban centers, yet contributes significantly to environmental degradation due to poor waste management practices. This study investigates sustainable waste management awareness, practices, and barriers among informal motor mechanics in Kano Metropolis, Nigeria. Using a mixed-methods design, data were collected through structured questionnaires (n=120), semi-structured interviews with regulatory garage operators/owners, environmental regulatory officials, and field observations across five major mechanic clusters. Findings reveal moderate awareness of environmental hazards (74%) but low formal training (41%), with widespread improper waste handling, including dumping and burning of used oil, batteries, and metal scraps. Infrastructure deficits (78%), cost-related concerns (63%), and weak enforcement (51%) emerged as major barriers. Observational data confirmed high incidences of open dumping (64%) and minimal use of spill containment or safety measures. Triangulated insights reveal a dissonance between reported awareness and actual practice, driven by economic constraints, institutional gaps, and informal sector norms. The study recommends multi-stakeholder interventions involving regulatory inclusion, environmental literacy campaigns, infrastructure support, and community-based enforcement mechanisms to green the informal auto-mechanic sector in Kano and similar urban contexts.