Management of domestic solid waste in Ghana: Perception of households

Abstract

The rapid economic development and population growth in Ghana have resulted in waste management problems as major cities battled with tons of uncontrolled rubbish, polythene bags spotted all over and waste disposal sites are full of refuse which causes serious health hazards and disease outbreak. This study therefore sought to examine the perception of stakeholders on domestic solid waste management in the Kumasi metropolis of Ghana. Data for the study were obtained by the use of semi-structured questionnaire and interviews with key informants. The results indicated that the frequency of waste collection was daily for communal waste sites and varied from daily, once, twice to three times per week for house-to-house collection. It was also revealed that inadequate equipment, poor roads, inadequate funds and inadequate trained staff were identified to be the key constraints that local authority and waste collection companies faced. The study recommends that to improve waste management within the metropolis, education and awareness creation concerning reduction of wastes should be carried out. Also, the local authority should make funds available to secure the needed logistics to improve waste management