Abstract:
Domestic solid waste, also known as municipal solid waste (MSW), refers to the non
hazardous waste generated by households, including items such as food scraps, paper,
plastic, glass, and other materials discarded in the normal course of daily life. The
purpose of the study was to examine the domestic solid waste management problem in
the Bechem township and suggest possible ways of solving the problem. The research
approach used for this study was qualitative. The case study design was considered
appropriate for this study. Out of the total population of 625 households, a sample size
of 12 households were selected through purposive selection. In addition to the
household, three other respondents including an Assembly member, Municipal Finance
Officer and an officer from the Waste Management Department were also purposively
selected and interviewed. The data collection method which the researcher used for the
study was face-to-face interview. The study revealed that communal skip containers
were woefully inadequate in Bechem culminating in indiscriminate disposal of refuse.
Indeed, most of the households resorted to indiscriminate disposal of waste. These
included dumping refuse in open depressions, open spaces in front of their houses and
their backyards. The study recommended that there should be adequate provision of
skips, education of residents, regular collection, financing of waste management and
provision of more waste management resources.
Description:
A research project submitted to the Department of Social Studies
Education, Faculty of Social Sciences Education
in partial fulfilment
of the requirements for the award of the degree of
Master of Education
(Social Studies Education)
in the University of Education, Winneba
