Integration of informal solid waste collectors into mainstream solid waste management in Adentan Municipality
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Date
2013-07-29
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Abstract
This thesis focuses on the role of the Informal Solid Waste Collectors in the collection and disposal of solid waste in Adentan Municipality. Management of waste in the Municipality by solid waste contractors is faced with numerous challenges resulting in their inability to collect large tonnes of waste for disposal daily. Rapid increase in the volume and types of solid and hazardous wastes as a result of continuous economic growth, urbanization and industrialization, is becoming a burgeoning problem for national and local governments. The main objective of the research is to study how Informal Solid Waste Collectors can be integrated into the mainstream solid waste management in the Adentan Municipality.
The study was conducted in the Adenta Municipality with Adenta as its capital. Adenta Municipal covers an area of 98.3 km² with a population density of 795.7/km² and population of 78,215 (2010 census). Adentan was chosen for the study because of its rapid urbanization and expansion. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from the Municipal Assembly, households and informal solid waste collectors. The research gathered data from primary and secondary sources using field investigation, face to face interview and questionnaire administration.
Results obtained indicated that out of 55.38 metric tonnes of waste generated per day, 61.39% are collected for disposal by waste contractors, 9.93% by informal collectors and 29.07% are left uncollected. Solid waste management challenges include bad road network, lack of monitoring and supervision by the Assembly, lack of waste management by-laws and irregular service provision by formal waste contractors. The results also indicated that there are only 19 communal containers in the Municipality. Data gathered indicated that some Informal Waste Collectors had been in business for more than 10 years.
Apart from the immense contribution to environment cleanliness and prevention of diseases outbreak through collection and disposal of waste, Informal Solid Waste Collection has provided employment to significant number of youth who have turned out to be the bread-winners of their families. More income is earned by collectors as a result of lower fees charged for services rendered to households and businesses.
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A Thesis submitted to the Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology,
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Master of Science in Environmental Science.