Sustainable private sector solid waste collection & transportation.

The collection, transportation and disposal of waste are important for both public health, aesthetic and environmental reasons. Waste is anything discarded by an individual, household or organization. In Ghana the responsibility of waste collection and disposal lies under the local government’s purview. The formation of waste management department in STMA in 1994 saw the responsibility of waste collection being transferred from national to district level. Waste collection services at that time were purely of communal container type of services, but due to lack of logistics the Assembly could not sustain it. The outcome was accumulation of refuse and spill over in the communities. The private sector was therefore invited to augment the operations of the waste management department to improve the quality of services and enhance its sustainability in the metropolis. Door-to door services started in 2002 by ABC Co. Ltd. and on pilot basis by WMD in some selected areas in the Metropolis, The study therefore focused specifically on the sustainable private sector solid waste collection and transportation services in STMA. The first part was used to describe the situation that led to participation of the private sector while the second part was basically used to review various concepts in relation to sustainable solid waste collection based on the ISWM Model taking into consideration the three key stakeholders, the Government, the private sector and the service users. The review of literature centred on the sustainable solid waste management based on the integrated solid waste management which is currently widely used model in this regard. It explains sustainability in solid waste collection from technical, social, economic, financial, institutional, and environmental perspective, As a model designed to achieve sustainability in the waste sector, it is characterized by three broad dimensions, notably; stakeholders, system element and sustainability aspects. The basic principles of the ISMW are: environmental effectiveness, economic efficiency and social equity and acceptability. Other aspect introduced in the study to complete ISWM Model is the management model which describes the various government mechanisms put in place to enhance sustainable PS in service delivery; these are the policies, institutions, financial mechanism, and technology. The research type was explanatory and exploratory using single case study embedded. An embedded case study research methodology provides a means of integrating both quantitative and qualitative methods into a single research study. Data collection methods encompass primary and secondary methods as well as observation; it is therefore both qualitative and quantitative. The research population comprises the Metropolitan Assembly, the service providers, the service users. In-depth interviews were conducted with the STMA officials, the service providers and the waste workers. Closed-ended questionnaire were also used to sample the service users. The findings were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively using Atlas ti and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. The study reveal that there are currently two systems of solid waste collection in STMA notably; the door-to door waste collection system organized in areas with clear layout and access road and communal container services being organized in areas with poor access road. The findings are that the current system is not sustainable in the sense that some of the service providers are not able to recover cost of operations as a result of high operational and maintenance cost. The Assembly does not also provide subsidy to assist the private companies. Fees are fixed without involvement of all key stakeholders, most especially the service users contrary to the ISWM Model which sought to incorporate all stakeholders to achieve sustainability in solid waste collection. It is not sustainable because of weak complaint mechanism, weak performance mechanism, and political interference in applying the appropriate sanctions which is also contrary to the government model of ISWM. Recommendations provided includes fixing realistic fees, public education, and introduction of universal tax to support the PS, tax rebate for service providers, prompt prosecution of defaulters without political interference. Installation of performance and complaint mechanisms and capacity building of staff of EHD and waste management department.