Abstract:
The fast growth of urban populations, high resource consumption, and growth of technologies have
caused a dramatic growth in urban solid waste volumes and generation with environmental and
public health issues associated with water contamination, emission of poisonous and dangerous
gases, soil pollution, and introduction of disease vector populations. The aim of the study was to
evaluate the practices and challenges of household solid waste management in Finote Selam town,
West Gojjam Zone, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia. The researcher employed descriptive and
triangulation mixed research design for this study. The study tried to test the socio-economic
factors influencing the solid waste generation of the respondents in the urban area by using a
multiple linear regression model. The researcher employed a simple random sampling technique
to select sample respondents. A total of 395 respondents were surveyed. The findings indicated
that the sample household respondents were replied that lack of awareness 55%, dumping site
problems 26%, high resource consumptions 15%, and lack of containers 4% were the major caused
factors for high solid waste generation in the town and aggravated socio-economic and
environmental pollutions. Additionally, the results revealed that 40.1% variance in solid waste
generated and stored in Kg/day can be accounted for by thirteen predictors collectively: F (13,
381) =19.620, p<.001). Looking at the unique contributions of the predictors and the results
showed that sex (β =.228, t = 5.256, p < .001), age (β = .091, t = 2.266, p = .024), family size (β =
-.108, t = - 2.632, p = .009), marital status (β = -.248, t = - 5.491, p < .001), and shortage of
technology (β = .368, t = 7.942, p < .001), were the major factor for solid waste generation in
Finote-selam town. As the findings indicated that inappropriate solid waste management practices
and methods of disposal of solid waste caused different health problems.
