Defining options for integrated management of municipal solid waste in large cities of low-income economies - the case of the Accra metropolis in Ghana.

Abstract

Waste management and planning authorities need to know and understand the materials they will be handling or disposing in order to be able to set up effective sustainable waste management programmes. Also, in setting up a waste management programme for a region or city, it is critical to have reliable data on waste stream characteristics such as the nature, types and quantities of waste components in the waste streams of that locality. This will allow them to choose with fair certainty the kind of management options to consider for the implementation of an integrated solid waste management programme. The objective of this study was to analyse household solid waste to determine the type, nature and quantities of materials in the waste as generated so as to provide useful information on the potentially available management choices in the Accra metropolis. Results of the study show that, domestic solid waste in the metropolis can be routed via three distinctly different stream types; namely the High-Income Low-Density Population Waste Zone (HILDWZ), Middle-Income Medium-Density Waste Zone (MIMDWZ), and Low-Income High-Density population Waste Zone (LIHDWZ). These waste streams were also shown to consist of entirely different proportions of the waste components, but with an average percentage composition of 60% organic or putrescible materials, 8% paper & card, 8% plastic & rubber materials, 3% metal & cans, 2% glass, 11% residue or inert materials, and 2% miscellaneous or other waste.