Households Solid Waste Generation and Disposal in Some Selected Communities in Ejisu–Juaben Municipality, Ghana
W. Asare *
Department of Ecotourism and Environmental Management, Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana.
A. Andrews
Department of Materials Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
R. Asare
Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
To reduce or curb solid waste management challenges in Ejisu–Juabeng Municipality of Ghana, it is incumbent to quantify the solid waste composition generated at source (household level) and current disposal methods. Kwamo, Ejisu and Fumesua were selected based on the premise of commercial activities, population and historical background. Data was collected through mix approach such as field investigation, survey, face-to-face interviews and the use of semi–structured questionnaire. The study observed high levels of putrescible waste in all the selected towns. The highest mean quantity of solid waste generated was observed in Ejisu, followed by Kwamo and Fumesua respectively. The mean per capita waste generations were 0.2 kg per day for Kwamo, 0.2 kg per day for Ejisu and 0.3 kg per day for Fumesua respectively that falls within the national average per capita waste generation of 0.5 kg per day. The influence of socio–economic factors and availability of communal waste receptacles on waste generation and disposal has been discussed. Workable integrated solid waste management within the Municipality has been proposed.
Keywords: Solid waste, municipality, skips, integrated solid waste management