Households’ Attitude and Strategies Towards Solid Waste Management in the Accra Metropolis

Abstract

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) is increasingly finding it difficult to grapple with managing municipal solid waste. Attempts to address this waste menace have rather been ad hoc instead of holistic approaches. With solid waste generation outstripping collection and disposal, it is not surprising to find parts of the city engulfed in filth. Low and middle income areas are at the peril of this problem. Waste collection and disposal options are generally inadequate. The study set out to investigate how attitudes, perceptions and waste disposal strategies affect municipal solid waste management. Data was primarily collected from 156 households from 16 selected localities in 6 Sub Metropolitan areas within the Accra Metropolis. Data collected centred on households’ perceptions, attitudes and strategies adopted in the management of household solid waste. The results show that roadside collection and communal dumping are most preferred strategies for waste disposal. Waste segregation at source is virtually non-existents. Households’ exhibition of poor environmental habits is a measure of perception on various issues bothering environmental consciousness. People who are positively aware of the need to keep the immediate and larger environment clean tend to litter less and adopt safer approaches to solid waste disposal. Based on the findings of this study, the institution of holistic measures that would address the immediate need of keeping clean the environment and in the long term, altering perceptions and attitudes is recommended.