Solid Waste Segregation as a Strategy for Improved Waste Management in Amac, Abuja.
CHAPTER ONE
Objectives of Study
- To establish the status of the existing solid waste collection, transportation and disposal practices in Abuja.
- To examine magnitude solid waste management problems in Abuja.
- To examine the challenges of solid waste segregation in Abuja.
- To design strategies to improve solid waste segregation challenges in Abuja.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
What is Waste?
The concept of waste is tricky to define(Lardinois and Van de Klundert, 1995). The definition of post-consumption materials as resources in the wrong place at the wrong time incorporate the idea of ‘wastes’ being resources left over from initial consumption(Lardinois and Van de Klundert, 1995). There is a problem with this definition because not all wastes can properly be regarded as resources. Many hazardous and toxic materials cannot be safely recycled or reused. In any one society, there will always be materials that cannot be used as resources for various reasons. What is a waste is considered from the point of view of the waste generator soit is mainly a subjective matter. Waste is what the person responsible for discarding the material regards as waste(Lardinois Van de Klundert, 1995). General waste is any material for which a specific owner ceases to have use for it. It is also any unwanted or discarded material, in solid, liquid or gaseous form. A product, material or container is not considered waste until someone throws it away.
Solid Waste
Solid waste is non-liquid waste arising from domestic, commercial, industrial, agricultural, mining and construction activities and from public services. Solid waste can also be defined as ―unwanted material disposedoff by man which can neither flow into streams nor escapes immediately into the atmosphere(Kulkari, 2008).
Classification of Solid Waste
Solid waste can be classified in several ways and most classification of solid waste is based on the source from which it is generated(Hoornweg et al., 2008). Major sources of solid waste include;
Residential/Domestic Waste
This can be single or multifamily dwellings. Types of waste generated here are food wastes, paper, cardboard, plastics, textiles, leather, yard wastes, wood, glass, metals, ashes, special wastes (e.g., bulky items, consumer electronics, white goods, batteries, oil, tires, and (household hazardous wastes.) (Hoornweget al., 2008).
Industrial Waste
These are light and heavy waste from manufacturing, fabrication, construction sites, power and chemical plants, manufacturing processes such as (refineries, mineral extraction and processing. etc.). The types of waste generated here are housekeeping wastes, packaging, food wastes, construction and demolition materials, hazardous wastes, ashes, special wastes, industrial process wastes, scrap materials, off-specification products, slay, tailings etc. The manufacturing industry has a central role to play in the prevention and reduction of waste as the products they manufacture today become the wastes of tomorrow. Manufacturers can achieve this by:
- considering the impact of their products throughout its life at the design stage of the product.
- using manufacturing processes that minimize material and energy usage.
- eliminating or reducing where possible the use of substances or materials hazardous to health or the environment and
- manufacturing products in such a way that they last longer and may be recycled or reused at the end-of-life stage.
The European Union and government policy across Europe is increasingly driven by the need to influence manufacturing practices in an effort to decrease the environmental impact of products during their manufacture, use and end-of-life (Hoornweget al., 2008).
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
Study Design and Scope
This study was a quasi-experimental design. It was aimed at documenting a field survey of the knowledge, attitude and practices of solid waste segregation, characterization and weighing of solid waste segregated as well as training and provision of labelled colour coded waste collection bags. A stratified random sampling technique was employed in selecting 30 households drawn from AMAC.
Study Population
The study population comprised of 574 households from AMAC. Participants were selected based on mutual consent.
Criteria for Selection
The Community considered for the study was selected based on the following criteria;
- It‘s a semi-urban setting.
- It has a population variation of high and low density areas.
- It‘s within , the state capital.
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS
This chapter highlights the demographic characteristic of the study population, their knowledge, attitude and practice towards solid waste segregation at the source of generation, (household) at pre-intervention as well as at post-intervention and assessment of the nature and amount (weight) of solid waste generated by the respondents. The questionnaire was validated by the findings of the waste segregation exercise. Results were analysed by grouping the questionnaire into three main sections these are; knowledge, attitude (perception) and practice which majorly assessed the effect of the intervention on the respondents and the nature and amount of waste generated within the community.
Questionnaire Survey
Socio-Demographic Characteristics of Respondents
A total of 30 respondents were interviewed from the community with age ranging between 15 to 45 years. Mean age of respondents in the community is 28.6±2.6 years. Table 4.1 shows the socio-demographic characteristics of respondents from the community.
Knowledge of Respondents on Solid Waste Segregation
The mean knowledge score of the 30 respondents‘ interviewed at pre-intervention was 2.7±0.2 of number 73.3% has poor knowledge, while 26.7% has fair knowledge. Tables 4.2 4.5 and figure 4.1 shows the knowledge level of respondents‘ on solid waste segregation.
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Conclusion
Results of this intervention show that waste segregation at source is a practicable and sustainable approach for a more effective solid waste management in the country. However, there is need for collaboration of all stakeholders involved especially in the area of advocacy, public enlightenment, creation of buy-back recycling centres, community participation and public-private partnership arrangement. The findings of this study will improve the planning, development, implementation and evaluation of solid waste management in the Community, , state and Nigeria.
Recommendations
It is therefore recommend in very strong terms that
- Increased community based public awareness programmes be undertaken.
- Provision of bags by government as motivational incentive for waste segregation at the source.
- Government should establish buy-back recycling centres.
- Before any policy on Solid waste management should be adopted research on baseline information of the present situation of solid waste generation and practice be obtained.
- Encourage solid waste segregation from the source of generation.
- Encourage community participation.
- Encourage house based waste composting.
- Provide adequate legislation and enforcement.
REFERENCES
- Adedibu A.A, 1983. Solid waste Characteristics in Ilorin Journal of the Nigeria Institute of Town Planners. 3 (1):17-21.
- Ahmed S.A. and Ali S.M. 2004. Partnership for Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries. Habitat international. 28:467-479.
- Akintola F.O. 1987. Prospects of Solid Waste Management in Ibadan City. Seminar paper, Department of Geography, University of Ibadan: 6-8.
- Ali S.M. 1997. Separation at Source: A Case Study of Karachi, Pakistan. Amsterdam: UWEP
- Amadi A.N 2011. ABC of Environmental health, Nationwide Printers and Publishers co ltd: 4-6.
- Amadi A.N. 2009. Modern Environmental Sanitation, Nationwide Printers and Publishers co ltd: 80-85.
- Anschütz J. 1996. Community-Based Solid Waste Management and Water Supply Projects: Problems And Solutions Compared A Survey of the Literature: 14-16.
- Ayotamuno M.J. and Gobo E. 2004. Municipal Solid Waste Management in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, Obstacles and Prospects, Management of Environmental Quality; An
- International journal6 (15): 3-39.
- IEARN GEN 1, 2011. A survey of Household Solid waste management in Otukpo; A case study of Residents around Wesley high School Otukpo, Benue state Nigeria: 5-7.
- IETC, 1996. International source book on environmentally sound technologies for municipal solid waste management. International Environmental Technology Centre, UNEP, Shiga, Japan: 10-17.
