Household Solid Waste Management Survey in Benin City Agglomeration, Edo State, Nigeria

Authors: Amedu EI, Emejulu MJ, Aighewi IT

DOI Info: N/A

ABSTRACT

A survey of 200 residences was undertaken in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. The objectives were to identify and document residential waste management practices and recommend appropriate strategies for improving the management process. Stratified random sampling procedure was used to identify households and well-structured questionnaires administered. Data obtained were then analyzed qualitatively. The results showed that seven methods are used for household collection and storage. Of these, baskets and bags are most frequently used while in-house composting was the least. Half of the residents practice modest recycling, although 8% of the households dump their waste on bare ground and burn them openly. Haulage and final disposal are mostly done monthly, while 36% of the households manage their wastes independently. The infrequent collection coupled with relatively high number of households independently managing their own wastes may explain in part the littering of neighborhood streets in Benin City. The harmonization of waste management by the waste management board with respect to collection, haulage and final disposal is recommended. Also, increasing the collection frequency to reduce waste overflow and dispersal, provision of standard community bins for storage and legal means for discouraging independent disposal and open burning are recommended.

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