Waste Management Strategies in an Urban Setting Example from the Tamale Metropolis, Ghana

Tamale, one of the fastest growing cities in Ghana, is faced with daunting challenges in the management of Municipal Solid Waste. A corresponding increase of population and rising quality of life with high rates of resource consumption patterns have led to serious problems of high volumes of waste generated and costs involved. This research was therefore designed to focus on the Municipal Solid Waste Management strategies in Tamale, seeking to assess the performance of newly introduced tricycles for waste collection. The study employed the methodology of administration of questionnaire and interviews. The questionnaire and interviews revealed that there is a relationship in the level of education and how households stored their waste before disposal. There is also a close relationship in the household income level (residential class) and the use of covered plastic waste bins. Most households rated waste collection after the introduction of the tricycle as good followed by very good and satisfactory whilst none were of the view that waste collection was not good. Though there has been an improvement in waste collection after the introduction of the tricycles, there is the need for an integrated approach to waste management where all aspects of waste management are analyzed. 1. Introduction Increasing waste generation rates due to population growth, changing lifestyles of people, development, and consumption of products with materials that are less biodegradable have led to the diverse challenges for Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) in various cities of the world [1]. Cities are now grappling with the problems of high volumes of waste; high costs involved; the disposal technologies and methodologies; and the impact of wastes on the local and global environment. Municipal Solid Waste is linked with corresponding increase of both population and economy. The Ghana Population and Housing Census conducted in the year 2000 showed that the population of Tamale (293,881) grew by 48.8% between 1984 and 2000. With a growth rate of 3.5%, the population is expected to be 551,027 by 2025. As one of the fastest growing cities in the country, Tamale is faced with daunting challenges in the management of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). According to Ghana Districts [2], the Refuse Generation Rate (RGR) in Tamale is about 150 tonnes per day. However, the city authorities can only take up to 7.5 tonnes of refuse per day leaving a backlog of 142.5 tonnes per day. This results in littering of waste in the city and dumping of refuse in drain channels thereby choking them.