4.5 Involvement of households' in waste minimization

On the residents' readiness to separate and recyclable their waste at the house (source) for collection, the result indicates that majority (50 and 49%) of the respondents in Berekum and Dormaa respectively were ready to separate their waste at the source given the necessary incentives. They pointed the increase in collection rate to two times a week, the free provision of plastic bags with variety of colors, and to be provided with free bins by the companies or the assembly for separate collection as the incentives needed for effective waste separation. Over 40% accepted to purchase their own receptacles for storing organic waste. Whereas 33% called the enforcement of by-laws to ensure everybody separate their waste. The respondents acknowledged their awareness on waste reuse, recycling, as well as composting. Majority indicated that they use food waste to feed livestock, salvage used plastics and cans, and sachet rubbers for the informal buyers or scavengers. Moreover some continue to engage in burning waste. Small number of them uses organic waste as manure for vegetable garden. Notwithstanding, the residents' awareness on reuse and recycling of waste in the municipalities are very low as more reusable and recyclable materials continue to be seen in the streets, drains and streams. This implies that the existing collection system does not ensure recycling as varied wastes are sent to the dumping grounds with very little or no recycling by scavengers.

#### 4.6 Service quality of waste management in Berekum and Dormaa

The quality of SWM was assessed by asking the respondents to indicate service satisfaction by responding either satisfied or not satisfied with the quality of service on a five-point scale from very poor to very good in terms of two service quality attributes (reliability of collection and sanitary conditions at bin/container location). To rate the quality SWM of the service providers effectively, all the communities served by the waste management company were selected for the survey. The study shows considerable disparities in terms of quality in the existing SWM system as practiced in the municipalities. In the Berekum Municipality, a total of 65% of the respondents who patronize house-to-house collection service rated there liability of service and sanitary condition and waste overflow as fair and good. Areas such as Estate, Nyamebekyere and Osofokyere which have larger number of high and medium income households' fall in this category of the respondents rated the quality of service of the company in their vicinity as good. The level of service quality could be attributed to the perceived quality of service by the people. This is because they pay for waste services that recover full cost and therefore they expect the service to be devoid of waste overflow from bins located in front of their house. The service reliability and sanitary conditions of communal collection in the low income areas of Atonotia, Kyirikwede and Amangoase were largely rated as poor by residents. Surprisingly, a total 76% of the respondents for communal collection rated the service as poor. This is because the waste overflow from communal containers unto the ground was widespread. The people in these areas confirmed that collection is irregular and the containers 'sites are not desirably maintained by the company and the Assembly.

In the Dormaa Municipality, the survey revealed similar results. There were also considerable disparities in terms of quality in the existing SWM system as practiced in the municipality. About 71% of the respondents who patronize house-to-house collection service rated the sanitary condition and waste spill over as good. In addition 59% said the reliability of waste collection was also good. Areas such as Kumidaa Street and Asikafo Amantem which have larger number of high and

Decentralization and Solid Waste Management in Urbanizing Ghana… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.81894

medium income households' fall in this category of the respondents rated the quality of service of the company in their vicinity as good. The service reliability and sanitary conditions of communal collection in the low income areas of Atoase, Ahantrase and Ahenbrono were generally rated as poor by residents. Interestingly, about 67 and 74% in these areas rated the sanitary condition and Reliability of waste collection respectively as poor. To them, the rate of waste overflow, from communal containers unto the ground at the container sites were high. The households confirm that collection is irregular and the containers 'sites are not cleaned by the company. Comparatively, more of the residents in Dormaa Municipality rated the service quality for the house to house as good than those from Berekum Municipality. Approximately 71 and 59% of the residents from Dormaa Municipality rated the sanitary condition at the container site and the reliability of waste collection respectively as good whereas 65 and 54% also rated the sanitary condition at the container site and the reliability of waste collection respectively in Berekum Municipality. Similar, results came out regarding communal collection. A total of 43 and 36% rated the sanitary condition at the container site and the reliability of waste collection respectively as good from the Dormaa Municipality whereas 27 and 24% also rated the sanitary condition at the container site and the reliability of waste collection respectively in Berekum Municipality.

#### 4.7 Mechanisms for solid waste management regulation

To monitor the quality of service effectively, the companies are mandated to furnish the Local Assembly with information on monthly basis. This comprises of performance targets, vehicle tour schedule, proceeds and expenditure from houseto-house collection and tonnage of waste disposed of. The key informants revealed that the performance targets as well as the formal rules and regulation for private waste companies were obviously elucidated in the contract signed. In addition, they affirmed that, the company cooperate with the Municipalities and provide information on tonnage on waste collected. This information is kept and used as the basis for paying the companies. With reference to house-to-house service, the companies further admitted that they (companies) provide the municipalities with information on revenues from the house-to-house services. In contrast, the staffs of the WMD were of the view that actual revenue from house to house collection is not properly accounted for in the reported to the Assemblies. Further result from them pointed out that detailed document on claims and revenue collected always lag behind time and the revenue figures usually were far below expectation. There was a clear evident of information asymmetry with the reports on cost and revenue in all the two municipalities. The information asymmetry in the report of the companies did not arguer well for the Assemblies to have a firm grip on cost and revenue to make any meaningful plan for effective cost recovery mechanism.

The results further revealed that the Assembly alone set up the service charge for the communal as well as house-to-house service. They further pointed out that the tariff for house-to-house services devoid of any central government support are fixed by the individual companies and submitted to the Municipal Assemblies for approval. The Assemblies specify an indicative levy for house-to-house collection to be collected monthly and a unit price per emptying the skips for communal collection service as specified in the contract document. The final levies and the unit prices at are susceptible to changes using the price escalation formula in the contract after the award of contract. Concerning waste collection charges and fee (unit price) and cost recovery, the companies providing the house-to-house collection takes approved service fees from their client on monthly basis in both Berekum and Dormaa. The house-to-house collection fees for waste management were GH¢12

(US\$2.50) Berekum and GH¢10 (US\$2) for Dormaa but those who patronize the communal services do not pay for user charges. However the cost for lifting a tonne of waste keep increasing with time and over time, this has become a burden on the assemblies. It was further revealed that the user charges were not regularly reviewed. This has resulted in big cash flow problems for the companies due to the continuous increase in exchange rate of the cedi, inflation and fuel prices. The user charges need to be reviewed by the Assembly and published the new fees in national gazette as by-law for it to be legally binding on residents. This according to Assemblies is cumbersome and requires political will on the part of the central government and municipalities. This indicates clearly that there is a look warm attitude from the Municipal Authorities to implement full cost recovery through charging of all households in the two municipalities.

Also, the key informants revealed that the Assemblies hardly conduct public education. There was only two and four count for Berekum and Dormaa Municipalities respectively. This has adversely affected the residents' attitude toward waste management. The residents continue to litter indiscriminately. In relation to the Assembly's commitment to bye-laws it revealed that the two assemblies had bye-laws fully gazetted to keep the companies and the residents within the confines of SWM best practices. However, the bye-laws were not strictly enforced. Subsequent result shows that the Assembly finds it difficult to fulfill the terms of payment as stated in SWM contractual arrangements with private companies. More so, there had not been any occasion where interest had been paid on delayed payments beyond the 3 months as stated in most contracts. The difficulties and holdups identified in the Assemblies commitment to its contractual obligations are basically lack of financial resources. The key informant from the waste management department said they keep on changing their schedule for educating the masses on waste management year in year out all because of the lack of funds. Conversely, according to the companies, the cost recovery mechanism is inadequate. With this the assemblies find it difficult to generate enough revenue to pay the companies. There was also weak mechanism in place to deal with residents who refuse to pay for the waste collection services rendered. The Assembly delays so much with the payment of monies and this in effect affects service quality. It can be concluded that Assemblies' non-adherence to contract obligations have a major influence on service quality and productivity of companies.

Also, concerning the companies' commitment to contractual obligations, indicators used includes company achieves daily collection target in the contract, company's cover waste containers during transporting, company collection crew use protective clothing, company keeps container site free of litters and clean. The directors of both the private companies and the WMD interviewed said the companies were able to achieve their daily targets of about 80%. It was confirmed together with other key informant and the resident in the household survey that the collection crew have protective clothing and use them their activities, however very few about 10% refuse to wear theirs in most cases. The few workers who do not in most cases use the protective clothing started with the informal sector and believed they are responsive to the waste collection without protective clothing. Regarding the companies obligation to keeping the container sites clean especially with the communal collection. Twenty-five out of over 100 container sites were kept clean and tidy whiles the others had litters all over. Large heaps of waste remains at these container sites after solid waste has been move to the disposal sites. In relation to this is the companies' obligation to repair and maintain communal waste skips. The key informant said the company barely does this function it is only the assemblies that squeeze some funds out of pressure from the residents for few repairs works on these containers.

### Decentralization and Solid Waste Management in Urbanizing Ghana… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.81894

Regarding the enforcement of legislation and sanctions, the municipal assemblies have the sole responsibility to enforce legislations and sanctions on the provision of public services. The Assembly uses bye-laws as well as terms and condition in the contract as the basic mechanism to managing solid waste collection services in their area of jurisdiction. It was realized from the companies' point of view that the bye-laws were enforced. In addition they were also of the view that the monitoring of compliance was done effectively. In addition, they opined that the sanctions for noncompliance to the bye-laws were punitive enough. They also revealed that the environmental health standards and sanitation were strictly observed and enforced. However, the household survey shows a different picture. It indicated that very little have been done to enforce bye-laws. It was realized that, the Assemblies find it very difficult to sanction offenders due to the frequency at which these bye-laws are flouted. The residents show lax attitude toward effective waste management. It was also observed that there were inadequate waste containers and low frequency of waste collection especially with the communal collection. Relating to this is the lack of environmental sanitation courts in these areas. This hinders the enforcement of solid waste and sanitation regulation.

The fines for non-compliance are the same in the two municipalities and are subject to review. They may be changed by the Assemblies after the service provider has been informed of such changes. The fine ranges from GH¢100 (US\$20)- GH¢200 (US\$40). The study revealed that the municipal assemblies have so far not been able to apply any sanction to the companies though evidence from the household survey shows the companies fail enormously in waste pick up as well as the cleaning up of the container sites. This study is therefore consistent with the finding of Oduro-Kwarteng that there is lack of sanctions in the waste management sector. In a similar study involving five cities, Oduro-Kwarteng [39] discovered that many of the contracts had credible threats of sanctions that required sanction, but noncomplying companies were not penalized.
