Solid Waste Management Practices and Challenges: The Case of Halaba Town in Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Solid waste, which is a consequence of day-to-day activity of human kind, needs to be managed properly. Due to rapid increase in urbanization and population, the generation rate of municipal solid waste in Halaba town is also increasing due to which the town is facing several difficulties in providing proper solid waste management services to its population. Accordingly, the objective of this particular study was to assess the existing solid waste management practices and challenges in Halaba town in southern Ethiopia. Questionnaire, interview, field measurement and field observation were the instrument employed to collect valid data. Data was gathered from 150 randomly selected sampled households using open ended and close ended questionnaire and from purposely selected key informants using semi structured interview. Based on the findings of this study, the households’ solid waste generation rate is 0.271kg/person/day. The result showed that waste composition in the study area was dominated by a high organic content; food waste and vegetable peelings (43.18%) followed by ash and dust (35.81%) leaves, wood scarp, paper and cardboard (11.88%) and metal, glass, ceramics, plastics and textiles (8.52%). The study revealed that only 18% of the household’s solid waste was collected by municipality. As a result of this, huge amounts of uncollected solid wastes are indiscriminately disposed in unauthorized areas. Finally, the study indicated the weak financial status of the municipality to provide adequate solid waste management services along with low awareness of the community were the series problem that challenges the practice of solid waste management system in Halaba town. Therefore, adoption of sustainable solid waste management systems (reuse, recycle and composting) through awareness creation campaign to enable the people aware of the importance of safe solid waste disposal for their environment and health should be encouraged.

Keywords: Household, Key informants, Solid waste generation rate, Solid waste management

DOI: 10.7176/JEES/9-9-03

Publication date:September 30^th 2019