ASSESSMENT OF SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES :   A CASE OF MASHA TOWN, SOUTHWESTERN ETHIOPIA
Creators: name: KIBRALEM KEBEDE WODAJO
Publisher: name: National Academic Digital Repository of Ethiopia
Year: 2017

description: The municipal solid waste causes substantial harm to the  environment and human health if 
mismanaged.  With  a  rapidly  expanding  human  population  and  growing  trend  of 
urbanization, problems related to the management of municipal solid waste have become of 
considerable importance in Ethiopia from both environment and human safety. This urges 
for better understanding of the existing practices and problems of solid waste m anagement in 
emerging  towns  of  Ethiopia.  This  study  therefore  assessed  the  existing  solid  waste 
management  practices  and  problems  in  Masha  town,  Sheka  zone,  SNNPR.  Samples  were 
selected using probabilistic and non-   probabilistic techniques.   The study was conducted on 
randomly  selected  76  households,  characterized  into  different  classes.   Both  primary  and 
secondary  data  sources  were  used.  Primary  data  were  collected  through  questionnaires, 
interviews  and  observation.  Secondary  data  were  collected  from  differe nt  documents  and 
office reports. The data collected from both primary and secondary sources were analyzed 
using qualitative and quantitative descriptive methods. Findings of the study revealed t hat 
most  of  the  residents  (91.0%)  in  the  study  area  use  traditional  method  of  solid  waste 
handling  system.  The  result  also  showed  that  plastic  bags  and  sacks  were  used  as  a
temporary solid waste collecting and storing material in the study area. About (10.4%) of the 
respondents replied that   communities dump  the  solid waste everywhere, like  river banks  (9.
%),  and  along  the  street  roads  (80.6%).  Openly  dumped  solid  waste  in  the  area  was 
damaging both the environment and public health as viewed by the respondents. As indicated 
by  the  respondents  (92.5%)  of   the  community  participation  in  municipal  solid  waste 
management was extremely low.  There are a number of reasons raised to low participation 
of  community  on  solid  waste  management.  The  mean  valve  of  household  solid  waste 
generation  rate of Masha  town  is  2.6 kg/day, 76.5 kg/month and 931 kg/year.  Composition of 
the solid waste generated in Masha town  is predominantly made up of organic  component
(90%),  paper  (2%),  plastics  (2%), hazardous  (1%), other waste  (2%)  glass  (2%), and metal 
(1%).  Lack  of  awareness,  poor  coordination  among  the  residents,  lack  of  efficient 
implementation  of  enacted rules and regulation by concerned bodies were  the main factors. 
To  alleviate  the  problems  in the  study  area  handling  separation  and  collection  system  of 
solid waste should be  established and enhanced. Poor municipal solid waste management is
practiced  in  the  town.  Therefore,  it  is  recommended  that  the  municipal  should  develop 
proper infrastructure, and prepare proper disposal sites where municipal solid wastes can be 
disposed.  Awareness raising among the inhabitants and also organizing the youth groups in 
small and micro enterprises in solid waste management activities is found to be important. 
Regular monitoring of the functionality of the system is also important.