Household Waste Management Practices and Challenges Faced in the North Dayi District of Ghana.

Abstract

Background: The global standard for waste management have shifted from the outdated practices of landfill use and waste incineration to a more sustainable system that prioritizes the reuse of available waste. This shift is part of a larger effort to mitigate the negative impacts of improper waste disposal and reduce the cost of material extraction. However, literature on the waste management activities remains scant, especially in rural areas of Ghana. Objective: This study sought investigate waste management practices in a rural setting of Ghana and how the challenges they face affect their practices. Methods: This cross-sectional study adopted cross-sectional study design, which employed a mixed methods approach to determine household waste practices and challenges faced by households in Vakpo. A total 332 household heads were interviewed, using a semi-structured questionnaire to collect quantitative data. Furthermore, key informant interviews were conducted to assess qualitative information on waste management practices in the community. Quantitative data was analyzed using STATA version 17 software and NVivo used to analyze the qualitative data. Results: Almost all household heads (96.68%) reported that waste was commonly generated at home, and the prevailing waste management practice was disposal through burning. Only ~13% of household heads reported they used the door-to-door service provided by the Zoomlion Company as well as segregated waste before disposal. While key informants revealed the distribution of waste bins from Zoomlion, some households still preferred to dispose of their waste directly into the environment and were unwilling to pay for the maintenance and running of the waste collection system. Furthermore, there was no established system in place to support households in practicing alternative forms of waste management, such as recycling and composting. While the district assembly conducts regular inspections of households to ensure acceptable practices for waste management, strengthened efforts were suggested to educate households on proper waste management methods. Conclusion: Waste management practices in rural areas, such as Vakpo, are poor due to the continuous disposal of waste into the environment. Although private waste management companies, like Zoomlion, attempt to support waste management in these areas, the lack of necessary infrastructure within households hinders efforts to manage waste effectively. Continuous education and inspection, provision of funding and infrastructure and enforcement of laws is needed to ensure the use of acceptable waste management practices.