GENERATION RATE, CHARACTERIZATION, AND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE IN CHIRO TOWN, EASTERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

The most pressing environmental issue in Chiro Town is the growing amount of solid waste generated and the lack of an effective waste management system. The purpose of this study was to determine the present generation rate, physicochemical characterization, and management practices of solid waste generated by households, commercial center and government organizations in Chiro town, Oromia region, Ethiopia. The research was done on households, commercial centers and government organizations. A total of 146 households were selected by systematic random sampling considering low income, middle income and high-income levels. The daily waste generated by the three sectors was collected and sorted into its constituent parts with the weight of each component recorded. This was done for seven days to determine the average daily waste generation rate per capita per day. For chemical analysis, a homogenized sample was used in the laboratory. A household survey, interview and field observation were employed to gather data on the households’ socioeconomic situation, solid waste generated and existing waste management practices. Solid waste generation per capita per day was 0.278 kg/cap/day, 1.26 kg/emp/day, and 0.25 kg/emp/day for households, commercial centers, and government offices, respectively. Households' biodegradable waste was dominant 67.43%, with a fraction of food waste accounting for 42.2%. Biodegradable waste accounted for 61.8% of was generated from commercial centers with a fraction of food waste accounting for 32%, and 60% of solid waste generated from government offices was biodegradable, with a fraction of cardboard and paper accounting for 35%. The bulk densities of solid waste of households, commercial centers, and government offices of the study area were 0.32 kg/L, 0.38 kg/L, and 0.29 kg/L, respectively. The average moisture content, carbon to nitrogen ratio, pH, K, EC and P of household’s homogenized biodegradable waste were 47.7%, 25.8:1, 7.64, 0.87%, 11.6mS/cm and 1.735%, respectively. The analyses of municipal solid waste management practice showed problem of solid waste segregation, collection, reuse, recycling, composting, transportation and disposal which results in problem of human health and environment. The findings of this imply biodegradable solid waste accounted for the majority of the solid waste generated in the municipality. As a result, the municipality can recover this organic portion by establishing integrated urban agriculture, which might decompose this waste and turn it into organic fertilizer. In order to appropriately handle this massive volume of solid waste, the town’s municipality must also establish and implement an acceptable solid waste management plan.