CHAPTER ONE GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1.0 Introduction and Background

Solid waste management (SWM) has been an important developmental issue over the years (Boateng et al., 2016). In recent years, the issue has intensified due to population and industrial growth, which have increased the volume of solid waste generated, particularly in the cities. Currently, about 1.3 billion tons of solid waste is generated in the world’s cities annually; a figure that is projected to increase to 2.2 billion tones by 2025 (Suleman et al., 2018).

The increasing solid waste and its management present both economic, social and health challenges for city managers across the globe. It has become a daunting task for local and central authorities, throwing up several challenges. The challenges range from lack of capability and logistics to deal with the escalating waste situation (Ma &Hipel 2016); the lack of necessary resources to shoulder the burden of providing services. Nyenje, (2011), and the lack of cooperation and support from the citizenry in managing solid Waste. These problems are even more profound in developing countries where lack of resources is a major challenge in dealing with solid Waste. Kretchy et al., (2019), indicates that city authorities in developing countries are unable to collect even half of the wastes generated, most of the urban slums do not have access  to waste disposal facilities.

In Ghana, SWM has been a major challenge haunting city authorities over the years. Saidou&Aminou, (2015), indicate that SWM poses a lot of economic and health challenges for various assemblies, but is more profound in the urban areas. For instance, is has been established that, the haulage of solid waste and upkeep of dumping sites in the Accra Metropolitan Assembly of Ghana (largest city) costs approximately 799,070 US dollars every month, and that city authorities use about 91 per cent of their annual budget on managing solid waste management alone (Oteng-Ababio et al., 2013). Sekyere Boateng et al., (2018), indicates that most municipalities lack efficient collection techniques and as a result, not all of the waste generated is collected. The situation is complicated by the increasing dumpsites and abandoned wastes deposited on the city streets and open places in residential areas. This uncollected waste piles up and becomes a breeding ground for disease carrying organisms causing diseases such as cholera and malaria. Ahenkan et al., (2008) had earlier noted that close to 75 per cent of diseases that takes people to the hospital in Ghana are traceable to unpleasant environmental health and sanitation as well as inefficient solid waste management. 4,000tons of solid waste is generated daily, waste management departments still grapple with the collection of this huge amount of solid waste.

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